Like A Rolling Stone
by elphabachan
Summary: Ashleigh 'Ash' Burkhart is a typical teenage girl. She never knew her father, and never cared to. Until she stumbled upon a new record store in a Minneapolis Neighborhood....
1. Sweet Child O Mine: Guns n Roses

A/N: It's a new story!! Since summer is here I think that it's time to put up a new one, don't you think so too? I had a hard time with this one until lately, and now I feel confident enough with it to start posting. I hope that everyone likes it!!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from THAT 70S SHOW nor Bob Dylan.

**LIKE A ROLLING STONE**

**Point Place, Wisconsin. April, 1980**

The basement seemed fairly normal that day. The only difference was that Jackie was silent, and Hyde was glaring ahead, but no one thought that this was very abnormal. Donna and Eric were thumb warring in a lovey dovey sort of way, and Fez was eating candy. Jackie and Hyde were just sitting, and if anyone had actually paid attention, they would have seen that something was not right.

"This sucks," Jackie stated. "I'm so bored. Can we do something besides just sit around for once?" Donna looked over at her best friend, frowning a little bit.

"Well what do you want to do?" Donna asked. "Why don't you call Bill and ask him to take you out?" Jackie sighed.

"How was you date last night anyway?" Fez asked, munching on his chocolate.

"Fine," Jackie said. "Boring."

"Still not getting any, huh?" Eric asked.

"Not from BILL," Hyde smirked, and Jackie shot him a look. No one caught it though.

"Well if I wanted it from Bill I would get it," Jackie said. "At least Bill knows how to be a gentleman about such things." Hyde smirked, and grinned cruelly. He was just itching to get a burn in. After what had happened the night before, he'd been waiting. She was not going to get the last word on this. He had never let her get it before, and it wasn't about to start now. He just needed the perfect set up. He could be patient. He could see that she was cracking under the pressure. Poor predictable Jackie. She always did when she internalized her anger and frustrations.

"Besides, Bill and I…. we're over," she said. "I…. We broke up this morning because…. Well, I don't really want to talk about why."

"Are you okay?" Donna asked. "I mean, do I need to kick his ass?"

"No," Jackie said. "Just another one to add to the list, I suppose."

"Seems to be a pattern," Hyde said, putting the ultimate burn into the works. Jackie didn't look at him, but stared at the floor, fury emanating from her eyes.

Donna sighed, dreading the fight that seemed meaningless and imminent, and turned on the radio in hopes of a distraction. Bob Dylan's voice carried over the waves.

_Once upon a time you dressed so fine  
You threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?  
People'd call, say, "Beware doll, you're bound to fall"  
You thought they were all kiddin' you  
You used to laugh about  
Everybody that was hangin' out  
Now you don't talk so loud  
Now you don't seem so proud  
About having to be scrounging for your next meal._

Hyde smirked as the lyrics filled the room, and he looked at a bobbing Jackie, who was enjoying the song at least a little bit. Perfect, he thought. His moment had come.

"Hey Jackie, isn't this song about you?" he asked. She stopped bobbing, and looked over at him.

"… Excuse me?" she asked.

"Well, it's about a girl who used to be high and mighty, but then gets struck down as time wears on," Hyde said. "So I just figured that this song was about you." Jackie frowned, and they shared a look of shared hurt and loathing.

"Hyde, don't be a dick," Eric said.

"Hey, I'm just asking if my theory is correct," Hyde said, putting his hands together.

_How does it feel?  
How does it feel?  
To be without a home?  
Like a complete unknown?  
Like a rolling stone?_

Jackie stood up, and looked down at him, angrily.

"If I am the protagonist in this song, it's only because of YOU, Steven Hyde," she said, softly and coldly.

"Will you two knock it off? I don't even know what you're fighting about!" Donna exclaimed. "Yesterday you were totally affable with each other! Why are you so pissed, Jackie, he's just being Hyde." Jackie turned her glare to Donna.

"Here's a surprise, sticking up for him over me!" Jackie snapped. "I guess some things never do change, huh, Donna?" Donna didn't know what to say to it, so she left it alone. Jackie turned back to Hyde.

"Is that what you've always thought of me, Steven?" she asked. "Am I like a rolling stone?"

"You do realize that it's not about the band, right?" Hyde asked.

"YES!" Jackie snapped. "I'm not a complete idiot!!!! I understand the burn, I understand the cruelty in that phrase and I've HAD IT! I've had it with you and your SHIT! I'm through with you, Steven Hyde, I am THROUGH." With that, she stormed from the basement. Hyde smirked, and Donna shook her head.

"All that over a stupid folk song," Donna said. Hyde shrugged, knowing that wasn't even the start of it.

That night, Jackie packed up a suitcase, took the money she'd withdrawn from the bank, and wrote three notes. One was for Bill, apologizing and wishing him the best. One was for her mother, saying that she was splitting. Not that she thought it would have much impact. The other was for Donna, saying she would always value her friendship. And that she was sorry for only leaving a note. She put on some simple make up, shoved her favorite stuffed animals and books in the second suitcase, and sat on it so it would close. She then got in her car, and left Point Place, vowing that she'd never have anything to do with Steven Hyde ever again.

She didn't know it at the time, but she already had a part of him with her as she drove away that April night.

_You've gone to the finest school all right, Miss Lonely,  
But you know you only used to get juiced in it.  
And nobody has ever taught you how to live out on the street  
And now you find out you're gonna have to get used to it.  
You said you'd never compromise  
With the mystery tramp, but now you realize  
He's not selling any alibis  
As you stare into the vacuum of his eyes  
And say 'do you want to make a deal?'_

How does it feel?  
How does it feel?  
To be on your own?  
With no direction home?  
A complete unknown?  
Like a rolling stone?

**Minneapolis, Minnesota. June, 1996.**

Ashleigh "Ash" Burkhart sat up in the slight light of her room, and looked at her alarm clock she had set to snooze repeatedly. Seven in the morning. She hit the clock, and threw the covers back over her head. There was a knocking on her door.

"Mrrrrrrrgh."

"Ash," her mother said. "It's seven."

"I'm not biking to my workshop today," she groaned from beneath the covers.

"Not if you don't get out the door in forty five minutes you aren't," Mom agreed. "Can I come in?"

"I wanna SLEEP." Jackie Burkhart entered the room, and sat at the edge of the bed.

"How late were you up?" she asked.

"…. One," Ash said.

"No wonder you're so tired! Ash, you knew you had to get up to bike today," Jackie said, chiding her a little bit.

"Mom, there was a 'Hellraiser' marathon on last night, I couldn't miss it," Ash said, pulling the covers off her head. Her cat Claudius strolled into the room and jumped on her. "Oh not you too."

"…. That was Samuel's influence, I bet," Jackie said, huffing a little bit and crossing her arms across her small frame.

"He knows me too well," Ash said. "He knows I can't resist Pinhead and the Cenobites." Jackie rolled her eyes at her daughter, and then smiled.

"Okay, since we were going to lunch with Paul anyway, how about this: I'll drop you off at your workshop before work, and then he can take you home after lunch."

"Will Paul go for that?"

"You know Uncle Paul would do anything for you, even if it was because you used poor judgment on how late you could stay up," Jackie said.

"True. Okay, thanks," Ash said, and threw the covers back over her head.

"Hold on, you're still getting up." She pulled the covers away.

"Wha-?!"

"I can't let you get off THAT easily," Jackie said, and smirked at her daughter, petting her hair a little bit. Ash groaned, and nodded. "Hey, I'll make waffles. Sound good?"

"Sleep sounds better."

"Waffles will just have to do," Jackie said, and stood up. Ash nodded, and rubbed her eyes.

Ash knew her childhood was atypical., and it wasn't because she had a typically boys nickname. It also wasn't because her mother never talked about her Dad. It was because, unlike most other children of a single parent home, Ash didn't care who he was, it was irrelevant. She loved her Minneapolis lifestyle, and her family that was an accident. Her mother was a successful fashion boutique owner. Ash knew that at one point it looked like she wouldn't have anything. Thus begins the back story of Ash.

Jackie Burkhart blew into Minneapolis in the Spring of 1980. She had little money, no friends, no job, and a severe heartache. She spent most of her money on an apartment past Dinkytown near the University. After trying to get jobs at various beauty stores, fashion stores, hell, anything that could possibly be glamorous, she was out of luck. Every time she heard the same thing: you're too young and/or too blunt. If Jackie was good at something it was exuding confidence, even when she felt extremely unconfident. So of course she seemed brash, she was overcompensating. She eventually got the job that every woman like her fears: waitress at a diner. She became a waitress at Annie's in Dinkytown, a favorite food stop for college kids. Though she hated it, she did a pretty good job. She found it difficult to balance all aspects of her life, and the juggling act became old very quickly.

When it became apparent that she was pregnant, her world went from teetering on the brink to hurling into the stratosphere.

But serendipity managed to smile down on Jackie one day in the summer. She was serving a college student, one that had been in there a lot in the past few weeks. She was beginning to show under her apron, and she knew that it wasn't something seen in a college diner that often.

'So can I get you anything else?' she asked, standing at his table. He looked at her, and shook his head. 'Maybe another soda, or a malt for dessert?'

'No, thanks….It's not too busy today,' he said. She looked around, and shook her head as well.

'Yeah, lots of people are home for the summer,' she said. 'Why aren't you?'

'Oh, well, I'm taking a class,' he said. 'And, I live about ten minutes away, so technically I am home… for the summer.' He cleared his throat awkwardly.

'Ah.'

'…. Want some of my fries?' he asked. She looked at the fries suspiciously. 'I mean, have you had a break yet?'

'….. I am due for a break,' she said, and sat at his table. 'And it's not like anyone else is here besides you.' It was true, it was pretty dead. He smiled, and she picked at his fries. And THAT was how she met Paul Hodge, the guy who would become the brother figure she never had. He was a senior in college when they met, and had been accepted to the U of M law school. And he was a soft touch to the core. So after talking with her during her break, and then for an hour after her shift, at the Purple Onion Coffeehouse, he knew why she was there and how she had no idea what was going to happen after her baby was born. Not long after, Paul brought her to his parents, who lived in St. Paul. And the Hodges became her surrogate family, and therein Ash's as well. Paul's Mom, Debbie, gave Jackie a job at her store, Grace's, the fashion store that Jackie now ran since Debbie's retirement in 1994. His Dad, Matt, was a professor at the U. And when Ash was born, they became doting grandparent figures. And Paul was her uncle in every sense of the word.

Now Ash was fifteen years old, and living the good life in Minneapolis with her Mom and the Hodges. Why would she need anything else? She didn't. But the question of her identity was going to thrust itself upon her anyway.

TBC

A/N 2: Just needed some backstory. And the chapter titles are songs I thought one would find on Ash's personal play list.


	2. Who Are You?: The Who

A/N: Thanks for those of you who have reviewed. I know that this seems pretty standard right now, but I hope that I can make this idea my very own.

Disclaimer: I don't own 70s SHOW or anything else that's obviously not mine.

Ash left Folwell Hall and began the walk to Dinkytown. She was meeting Jackie for lunch at Vescios, a great Italian restaurant that was a favorite. Ash tied her wavy brown hair into a ponytail, and took in a breath of the summer air. She crossed the street, and began the walk to the restaurant. She thought about her plans for the evening, she was going to see TWISTER with her friends Maddie and Sam, and looked at the stores in the little area Bob Dylan used to call home. Dinkytown had a large turnover rate, as students are notoriously fickle in the business world.

There was a new one that piqued her interest. She hadn't been to Dinkytown in awhile, so this place called 'Grooves' was unfamiliar. She looked in the window, and grinned. Music! She looked at her watch, and thought for a second. She had ten minutes before meeting her Mom, so that meant she had fifteen minutes because Jackie was notoriously late all the time. So she walked into the store. Independent music stores were hard to find these days, so this place thrilled her. She perused the aisles, and found the section she'd been seeking: hard rock. Jackie was not into hard rock when she was young, and Paul would joke that it must have been inherited from her Dad. Jackie would usually shoot him a look, as if to say 'not even remotely funny', and Paul would drop it. He was a lawyer now, and had a successful practice. When Ash was little and would watch 'Twin Peaks', she thought that her uncle Paul could pass as agent Dale Cooper, and that didn't change as he got older. He was still the spitting image of Kyle McLachlan, 'Showgirls' notwithstanding.

She picked up a Twisted Sister CD, and the owner of the store walked out from the back room. She looked up, and examined him. He had on a Who shirt, and retro sunglasses hid his eyes. He looked to be in his thirties, but had a look about him as if he had the knowledge of someone much older. He nodded at her a little, and she nodded back. She went back to looking at the CD, and put it down.

"Do you have any White Zombie?" she asked, tossing her hair.

"If I do it'll be there," he said, reading the rock magazine. She snorted, and kept looking at the CDs.

"What about Duran Duran?" she asked. That was her other musical pleasure. 80s. He put the magazine down.

"Are you serious, kid?" he asked.

"Why wouldn't I be?" she retorted.

"Because they're kind of before your time," he said.

"Yeah well, I'm retro I guess," she said.

"Yeah I guess," he stated.

"How's business in Dinkytown?" she asked. "It's kind of notorious for sinking businesses."

"Well, business is fine, but it doesn't matter, I have a perfectly successful store back in Wisconsin," he stated. "I'm just trying something new here. If it tanks, whatever, I just go back across the border."

"Why'd you come here in the first place?" she asked, reading the song list of the White Zombie.

"Eh, needed a change," he said. "Small town Wisconsin can get to ya."

"So urban Minnesota was the place to be, I hear ya."

"Well, it seems pretty cool. For Minnesota." She nodded, and brought the White Zombie CD up to the counter. "You look familiar, have you been in here before?"

"Nope," she said. "I rarely bike to this part of town, but I have a summer program at the U this week and I'm meeting my Mom for lunch."

"Ah," he stated. "Well, your total is twelve seventy five." She pulled out her red wallet, and laid money on the counter.

"That's allowance money well spent," she said. He was just looking at her now. It kind of creeped her out. "Are you okay?" He nodded.

"I swear I've seen you somewhere before, that's all," he said.

"Well I've never been in here before, and I wouldn't be caught dead in Wisconsin," she said. "Even if my Mom is from there."

"Sconnies unite," he said, pumping his fist in the air. She giggled, and nodded a little bit. "Well enjoy the CD."

"Thanks," she said, and put it in her backpack. "Maybe I'll be back sometime. I like independent stores better than corporate chains. Corporations suck."

"Damn right," he said. She smiled politely, and left the store. Steven Hyde watched after her, wondering why she looked so damn familiar, but was preoccupied with other customers who walked in as she walked out

* * *

Ash sat at the table with her Mom. 

"Sorry I'm late," she said. "I got a little caught up at a music store down the street."

"Well Paul isn't here yet either, but I've had a lot of time to look over the menu, so I hope you know what you want because I do," Jackie said, sipping her water. "How was your program this morning?"

"It was pointless," Ash said. "Mom, I know how to write, you didn't have to sign me up for this lame class."

"If it gets you out of the house and doing something this summer that isn't watching TV, I'll sign you up for it," Jackie said. "Besides, you liked this class last week."

"I like it, I do," Ash said. "I just know a lot already."

Paul Hodge then walked into the restaurant.

"Paul, over here!" Jackie said, waving.

"Hey Paul!" Ash said, pleasantly. Paul kissed both of them on the heads, and sat at the table.

"How are my favorite women?" he asked.

"If you keep calling us that you'll never get a woman who'll stick with you," Jackie said.

"You're so obsessed with finding me a girlfriend," Paul said. "Ash, how was your workshop today?"

"They didn't tell me anything I didn't already know," she stated. "It's a waste of time."

"You just said you liked it not three minutes ago!" Jackie exclaimed.

"It's fine."

"I think I'm going to get the spaghetti," Paul said, observing the menu.

"Mom, are you getting a salad?" Ash asked.

"No, I think I'm going to go a little crazy and get lasagna," Jackie stated.

"Oh my GOD, are you SERIOUS?" Ash asked, sarcastically. "Because THAT would imply CALORIES."

"You think you're so clever," Jackie said. "Look, I know this is weird eating habits for me, but I think I can indulge every once in awhile, don't you?"

"Duh," Ash said.

"You heard her Jackie," Paul said. "Duh."

The waiter came, and they ordered. Paul ordered the spaghetti, Ash went with stuffed shells, and Jackie changed her mind at the last minute and went with the salad after all.

"Wuss," Paul said.

"I know," Jackie said. "So a new music store, huh? Anything good?"

"You mean ABBA?" Ash asked. "I didn't look. I got White Zombie. And it seems okay, I may stop in sometime again this week, who knows when I'll be back in this neighborhood after this Writing Workshop is over."

"Fair point," Jackie said.

"So you remember you're going to Mom and Dad's for dinner Wednesday night."

"Yes," Jackie said.

"I remember," Ash said. "Are you going to be there?"

"Yep."

"Well good, you owe me a game of hoops," Ash said.

"Where did this love of basketball come from?" Jackie asked. "It's not me, I know that much."

"Maybe Dad," Ash said, absentmindedly, and then wrinkled her nose. "Sorry."

"Not a problem," Jackie said. "I wondered why he didn't come up in conversation as much as he used to."

"What's the point?" Ash asked, sullenly. "I learned a long time ago that you didn't like talking about him and now I have no interest. He doesn't know I exist and he probably wouldn't care, am I right?"

"That's bleak, Ash," Paul said.

"I don't know if he would," Jackie said.

"That's ALSO bleak, Jackie," Paul chided.

"I mean, you never told me anything beyond the fact he lives in Wisconsin, which is a no brainer, by the way, and by the time you were willing to tell me I'd stopped caring," Ash said. "He's just that guy who did you wrong, as Paul says."

"Just like a surrogate big brother," Jackie said, smiling at Paul, who raised his glass in acknowledgement. "Well, it doesn't matter. We did okay, right?"

"Eh, as fine as a teen will admit," Ash said. She smiled at her Mom, and Jackie smiled back. "Were you as cool as me when you were a teen?"

"Kiddo, I was captain of the cheerleading squad," Jackie said, proudly.

"So…That's a fat NO," Ash said. Jackie pursed her lips at her daughter, sardonically.

"I'll tell you one thing, snarkiness may not be inherited but you didn't learn that from ME," Jackie said. Ash smiled, and leaned back in her chair.

"Probably me," Paul said. "Jackie, tell me again how you do the great pyramid move."

"You better watch it," she said.

* * *

Ash looked in her mirror once she got home from the movie. It was nine thirty, her Mom would be home in an hour. She brushed her hair before bed, and examined her features, like she always did. As much as she said she didn't want to know about her Dad, she did see what might have been his genetics. The most obvious were her eyes. Her Mom had green and blue eyes, an anomaly that Ash herself did not share. Her eyes were blue, but not a deep one like Jackie's one eye. No, hers were a steel blue, very pale. And her face was more prone to a smirk than her mother's sultry smile. 

She put on 'AstroCreep 2000', and leaned back on her bed. White Zombie filled her room and her ears, and she swung her feet to the music. The phone rang, and she grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ash."

"Paul, do you have no life outside our family?"

"Nice, really nice," Paul said. "Is your mother home yet?"

"Nope, she's closing tonight," Ash said, sitting on her bed. "What do you need?"

"Well I wanted to warn her that my parents have invited yet another potential suitor for her to dinner," Paul said.

"Hilarious!" Ash said. "What's he like this time?"

"He's an orthodontist," Paul said.

"How exciting for my mother," Ash said.

"Well, if you need braces and it works out…"

"I'll tell her you called, and I'll warn her," Ash stated. "I hope that now I'm officially of dating age they don't try setting me up. Their track record with Mom is not good."

"Nor is it with me," Paul said.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later this week. And thanks for the ride home today."

"Any time, kiddo. Have a good one."

"Night." She hung up, and put on her pajamas. As usual, it was flannel boxers, and a worn out band shirt. Jackie wasn't exactly a fan of Led Zeppelin, so Ash had to wonder where the shirt came from, but now it was hers and it was vintage. What more could she ask for? She held her hand up in the air, making the 'rock on' symbol, and headbanged to the song

* * *

After class on Tuesday, Ash was about to start the long but pretty bike ride home, when she walked by Grooves. She looked up at the store, and felt compelled to walk in. She chained her bike to a light pole, and strolled inside. 

Hyde was sitting behind the counter. The teenage girl from the day before walked in. She began strolling the aisles, and he looked back at his book.

"Do you have any Asia?" she asked from across the store. Another customer looked at her like she was nuts, and Hyde looked up from his novel.

"You did not just ask for Asia," he said.

"Sure I did," she said. "Why not?"

"Because it's Asia!"

"Well I like them," she stated matter of factly, and continued to walk up and down the aisles.

"First it's White Zombie, then it's Duran Duran, NOW it's ASIA?" he asked.

"I like to think I have very eclectic tastes. Maybe later it'll be Cinderella. Ha, found it," she said. He went back to reading his book, having given up on the girl's music sense. She strolled, and stopped at the counter. She poked the book to get his attention.

"What?" he asked. She looked at the spine of the book.

" 'The Art of Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance'," she read. "Sounds weird."

"It's pretty good, I suppose." He began reading again. She thought for a second, and poked it again. "What?"

"What about Poison? Do you have them?" she asked. He set his book down again, and smirked at her.

"Kid, you really have no clue about music, do you?" he asked.

"Sure I do!" she exclaimed.

"You've yet to prove this to me," he muttered. She was going to say something snide, when her worst enemy from her workshop walked in. Adrian Lawson. He was a handsome young man, but Ash thought he was too much of an egomaniac to fall for his looks. It didn't matter if he had pretty green eyes or a small teenage stubble across his face, and a sly smile that just screamed 'I'm a rebel'… Cuz she wasn't into that kind of thing. She rolled her eyes, and he looked over at her.

"Oh, hello Ashleigh," he said. "Did you enjoy class today?"

"Yeah, sure," she said, leaning against the counter, trying her hardest to remain cool. Or 'Zen' as her mother would say sometimes. "What are you doing here, Adrian?"

"I'm picking up a CD for my sister," he said. She nodded, and then looked back at the CDs so as to send him the hint that he was a total tool. He looked at her CD, and smirked.

"That's a little before your time, isn't it?" he asked.

"Probably," she said, still aloof.

"Well, Asia is Asia," he said, paying for the CD. "Figures you'd like that stuff."

"Probably," she said, huffily, and he nodded.

"Have a good night, Ashleigh," he said smarmily, and left.

"Ass," she stated, and then flipped him off.

"Wow, you've got it BAD for that guy," Hyde said, and she spun around to look at him.

"Oh what do you know?" she demanded, slamming down the Asia CD, and stormed out of the store. Hyde chuckled, and went back to work. Funny kid.

* * *

That night she was on the phone with Maddie, blasting 'More Human Than Human' on her CD player. 

"Ash, you can't let this guy Adrian get to you," Mandy said. "He probably gets off on it."

"I know, it's just really hard not to be irritated!" Ash exclaimed, and then smiled. "What are you doing tonight?"

"Babysitting Tyler," Maddie said. "You?"

"Waiting for Mom to get home and in general fighting my writers block," Ash answered.

"That's your worst ailment," Maddie said. "You nerd of gargantuan proportions. Why not come over here? We'll watch 'Pretty in Pink'."

"I hate that movie."

"Since when?!"

"Since always!" Ash answered.

"Well fine, but I still think it's romantic."

"So does my Mom, but my Uncle Paul points out that the whole movie builds up for Duckie and Andie to get together, but then the studio hacks told them she had to get together with the rich guy," Ash said. "It's crap."

"I'm going to hang up on you and go watch it before you ruin it for me too," Maddie said.

"Okay. Oh wait, before you go, have you been to that new music store in Dinkytown?" Ash asked.

"I'm never in Dinkytown, Ash."

"Well you should go, the guy has a good selection."

"Sure sure. Have a good night."

"Yeah, night." She hung up, and walked to the kitchen. She poured herself some juice, and leaned against the counter. Claudius jumped up on the counter. She rubbed him behind the ears, and he looked up at her with his one eye. People thought it was weird that she had a one eyed cat until they actually got to know him. Then it was no big deal. He knocked over the orange juice carton.

"Dammit Claudius!" she snapped. "Man, we got trouble now… Well, ya got trouble my friend. I say you got trouble, right here in River…" She paused. Why was she singing 'The Music Man'? She HATED 'The Music Man'. Jackie loved it, and Ash would always complain about how Harold Hill was a total dick… She then had a brilliant idea.

"Cat, you've cured my writers block!" she exclaimed, kissed his head, and ran upstairs.

Jackie returned home, and found Ash typing away on the computer in the office.

"Isn't it a little late to be doing your workshop stuff?" Jackie asked.

"No, because you can't force art," Ash said. "And I'm going to show Adrian Lawson that I'm the best writer in class, no matter WHAT he thinks."

"What are you writing about?"

"How Professor Harold Hill from 'The Music Man' is a total psychopath," Ash answered.

"He's a WHAT?!" Jackie asked.

"And how Marian the Librarian's 'brother' is actually her illegitimate son with 'Uncle' Madison or whatever the heck his name was," Ash continued. "I call it 'The REAL Trouble in River City'."

"You are such a ghoul!" Jackie exclaimed. "Why take such a beloved musical and just ruin it?!"

"… Because it's such a beloved musical," Ash said, plugging away. Jackie sighed angrily, and left the office. "Night, Mommy!"

"Oh good NIGHT," Jackie called, and Ash smiled wickedly.

* * *

Across town, Hyde was closing up Grooves when he looked at the Asia CD that was still on the counter. What a weird girl, he thought. And yet he hoped she'd be back soon. Little did he know that the next time she was in she'd change his entire existence.

TBC

A/N 2: Next chapter is the BIG CONFRONTATION. Should be dramatic...


	3. Don't Leave Me Now: Pink Floyd

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW or anything like that.

After writing out her short story just to have it critiqued by Adrian, Ash was in a poor mood after her workshop. This was the second time she'd been paired with him and she had just about had it. She biked furiously to Dinkytown, determined to wallow in music and self pity. She parked her bike by Grooves, and strolled in. She had called Jackie in a tizzy, asking her to meet her at the Purple Onion on her break, and Jackie said she'd be there at one. That was ten minutes from that moment.

"Well welcome back," Hyde said. She nodded, and stormed to the rock section. "Bad day?"

"Stupid jerk Adrian LAWSON in my class said that my story wasn't very focused," she said, flipping her hair from her face. "And, I was out of clean clothes so I had to wear this shirt that is meant for bedtime only!" Hyde looked at the Led Zeppelin shirt.

"I used to have that exact shirt," he said. "Gave it to a girl and she never gave it back."

"That's rough," Ash said. "Man, I know how to write better than any of them and he dares critique MY stuff! He's just jealous because I'm the best." He smirked, and leaned on the counter.

"People suck," he said. "By the way, I checked, I do have Duran Duran. It's in the Pop section."

"Well thank God for that," Ash said, rushing to it. "I just…. UGH! People can be such assholes!"

"Tell me about it," Hyde said, smirking at this girl who was so confident in herself. He remembered being that way, but time tends to fix that. She found a CD, and smiled.

"My allowance is going to be blown to pieces now that I've found a store like this," she said. "I love music so much, dude."

"It's good stuff," he said. She growled. "Uhhhh…. Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," she said. "I just think that people in my class are idiots who couldn't point out good literature if it was standing next to..to…. Anne Rice!"

"You're bitter," he said.

"It's just stupid because I'm a great writer and I know it, and I'm being critiqued by amateurs!" she exclaimed, setting the Duran Duran on the counter. "Do you ever just feel like you're better than everyone else around you and they don't know it?" He pondered this question a little bit. While he did act like he was cooler than his friends, deep down he always felt inferior to them.

"No," he said. "Not even when I was your age." She sighed, and put out her money. Hyde rang her up, and bagged her CD.

"So do you like Zeppelin?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess," she said. "This is my Mom's shirt, I don't know much about Zeppelin. Not that she does, but she has it for some reason. I don't ask questions."

"Sometimes it's best not to," he said. "Actually, if you want to know more about Zeppelin, I would recommend their album Physical Graffiti. It's not as cited as Zeppelin Four, and it has some great music on it."

"Okay, I'll remember that," she said. "Say, do you like Nirvana?"

"They're okay, I guess," he said. "The death of Kurt Cobain is what rocketed them to stardom. Nothing like the premature passing of a musician to make the band super popular, even if they don't deserve it."

"Ouch man, that's harsh," she said. "Come on, Kurt Cobain was a poet. If Jim Morrison was a poet, so was Kurt."

"All I'm saying is that you can't expect to write all this music and make a deal with a record company and not expect to be a) selling out, and b) ripped off," Hyde said. "When you sign with a music label, you automatically sell out. So use your selling out to your advantage, don't whine and kill yourself over it."

"So you support selling out?" she demanded.

"I'm just saying that over the years I've learned that life is all about selling out," he said. "I'm sure you've sold out before, and I know I have in more ways than I would care to talk about with a teenage kid."

"That's cool," she said, and it seemed peculiar to him. Before he could say anything else, the door to the store opened.

And Jackie walked in.

"Ash, it's ten after one," she said, and Ash turned around.

"It is not, it's one exactly!" Ash said, and looked at her watch. "See?"

"Your watch is slow," Jackie said. "Look at the clock on the wall." Ash did, and bit her lip.

"Oops, sorry," she said. "How did you know I was-?"

"I saw your red bike chained to that light post," Jackie said. "Are we going for coffee or-?"

"Oh my God," Hyde said, standing up straight in shock. "Jackie?" She looked, and the color drained from her face.

"Steven?" she asked, almost a whisper.

"Mom?" Ash asked, looking at Jackie and concerned she was about to faint.

"Wait, 'MOM'?" Hyde asked, looking at Ash. "She's your Mom?"

"Steven…." Jackie repeated, and then began to panic.

"Steven… who?" Ash asked Jackie, looking at Hyde.

"Ash, let's go," Jackie said, her flight instincts kicking in. She took Ash's wrist and began pulling on her. "I'll drive you home."

"Mom, what is going on?" Ash asked. "And I have my bike!"

"So we put it in the trunk , it's a Volvo, it'll fit," Jackie said, dragging Ash out of the store.

"Ash?" Hyde asked to himself, and before he knew it they were out the door. "Jackie….. Wait a minute….."

Jackie yanked on the bike as Ash fiddled with the lock.

"Mom, it won't come off the post until I've unlocked it," Ash said.

"Unlock faster!" Jackie snapped, and Ash gave her a look as the lock came undone. "… Sorry. But let's go."

"What about coffee?" Ash asked. "Mom, I'm sorry I'm late, but can't we still do coffee?"

"I'm parked over there," Jackie said, rushing to the car. She popped the trunk, and heaved the bike in it. Ash looked at her Mom, surprised by her sudden strength. This wasn't about coffee anymore, and Ash began to get worried.

"Mom, what is going on?" she asked.

"Get in the car."

"Mom, I-."

"Ashleigh!" Jackie exclaimed, the panic overtaking her voice. "Please! Car!" Ash nodded, knowing not to mess with Jackie when her full name was used. She got in, buckled up, and Jackie leapt in the drivers seat and started up the red Volvo. They drove out of Dinkytown towards the Lake Nokomis neighborhood, where their house was. Jackie was nearly hyperventilating, and Ash was looking at her the whole time, warily.

"Mom," she said at a red light, after five minutes of complete silence. Jackie turned to look at her. "Who was that?" Jackie bit her lip, and did her best to keep from crying.

Now Ash wasn't stupid. She saw how her Mom looked at this Steven Fellow and she saw how he looked at her. Her mother wasn't scared off by much, she was a loud opinionated woman who would argue until the cows came home. Ash knew this from experience. But this Steven… She was terrified, and not in the way one is terrified of a slasher killer or a corrupt politician.

"Mom," Ash said, softer this time, "….. Who….. I mean….. What the hell? Who was that?" Jackie just kept driving, her mind racing a mile a minute. They eventually pulled up to their house, and Jackie looked at Ash. She touched the shirt Ash was wearing.

"This shirt used to belong to him," was all she said, and she got out of the car. Ash sat in the passenger seat, shaken to the very heart of herself. She opened the door, and did the only thing a somewhat awkward girl like herself could do in a situation like that: she puked into the grass by the driveway.

Hyde was still in shock. He flipped the sign to his store over to 'Closed', and sat in the back room. When Jackie left Point Place in April of 1980, there had not been much said between the two of them. Well, nothing nice, anyway. She and Fez were broken up (which they had been since a couple days after New Years when she broke it off), and she was dating another man named Bill. Bill was a pretty decent guy, but she was taking it very slow with him. She hadn't gone anywhere with Fez, but she had tricked herself into thinking she was in love. So Bill and Jackie were just casually dating.

_One night, after a date with Bill, Jackie walked into the basement. He had been down there, watching TV. She was looking very sexy, wearing a clingy dress and her hair up in a messy bun. _

_'Is Donna here?' she asked._

_'Nope, she's out with Eric,' he answered. 'How was your date with BILL?' He always said 'Bill' with such contempt in his voice. The truth was that he didn't like Bill, he was too perfect. _

_'It was fine,' Jackie said, sitting next to him on the couch. 'It was…. Average. Dinner, movie, that's it.'_

_'I don't know what you expected.'_

_'You should be nicer about Bill,' she said. 'He's very nice.'_

_'…. Want a beer?'_

_'…. PLEASE,' she said, and he smirked and they began drinking. _

_They drank and watched TV for awhile, laughing and just chilling out. Eventually it was getting late, and Jackie was almost falling asleep on the couch._

_'I should go,' she said._

_'Don't drive,' he stated. 'You aren't sober enough.'_

_'I'll just call Bill,' she said. '… But then we'll have another boring conversation…'_

_'Bill doesn't do it for you, huh?' he asked, and she shot him a look._

_'Bill is a perfect gentleman,' Jackie said. 'Besides, it's about time I dated outside of this circle.'_

_'Bill doesn't do it for you,' Hyde said, mockingly. She turned to look at him._

_'Excuse me?'_

_'I said that Bill doesn't do it for you,' he said. 'Just like Fez didn't do it for you, so you dumped him.' She scoffed, and her cheeks flushed. He wasn't sure if it was anger, tipsiness, or embarrassment. Whatever it was, it was hot. And he was horny. And selfish. Frankly, it had been awhile for him too, and he did like it when she was angry with him. It made her feisty. _

_'It's not your business or anything, but Bill will do it for me when I'm good and ready for him to do it for me,' Jackie said. 'Every time I rush into things I end up getting hurt, so this time I'm just guarding myself.'_

_'But you miss the fire,' he said, scooting close to her. She exhaled a little bit. 'You hold back but it gets a little harder with each passing day, doesn't it?' _

_'….. No,' she said, staring back at him. Their faces were almost touching. 'I don't miss it. I don't miss you. You were always a pig.'_

_'You liked it,' he growled._

_'You broke my heart.'_

_'You liked that too.'_

_'No, I really didn't,' she said, and he kissed her. And they had sex on the couch of the Foreman basement. He'd forgotten how great it was with her, how hard she could make him come and how loud he could make her moan. But to him that was all it was. So after they were finished and sober, and after she had snuggled up next to him on the couch, he had to tell her it was just fun. After all, he liked his lifestyle of just work and random women. He wasn't going to give up simplicity for something as complicated as he and Jackie were. And it broke her heart again._

_'I can't believe this,' she said, tears streaming down her face. 'I can't believe that I fell for it AGAIN.'_

_'Oh what are you doing now? Playing the martyr again?' he asked, getting goaded. 'I don't know what you expected, I mean you're with BILL after all…'_

_'I don't want to be with Bill, Steven!' she snapped, throwing her clothes back on. 'I want to be with you, that's all I've ever wanted these past four years, but you just don't get it!'_

_'Oh what's to get, Jackie, we never work out because you expect too much!' he snapped, throwing his clothes back on too. 'Why am I the one you always latch onto when things go bad in your life?!'_

_'Because you're the only one who gets me!' she exclaimed. 'Not that I want you to be but you are! Why don't you want me? Oh, I know why, because you are into the trashy girls, the girls who love you and leave you, just like your mother did. How Greek Tragedy of you! You should learn to let someone love you, Steven, because I really pity you! It's like you want to be a loser your entire life!' She grabbed her purse, and stormed from the basement. _

He had seethed about it all night, mainly because she was right. And he threw back the Bob Dylan song at her. And it hurt because she knew HE was right too. But he never expected it to hurt so much that she'd leave without so much as a goodbye or an explanation. It especially hurt that she had written notes to Donna and Bill, but not him. He knew he shouldn't have expected one, but it still hurt him.

Donna wouldn't say what Jackie said in her letter, but Hyde knew that she'd never forgiven him completely for the loss of her best friend. He'd never really forgiven himself for the loss of the love of his life, but he dulled the pain with work, women, and alcohol.

And now, after sixteen years of not seeing her and trying not to think about her, she was in his store for a minute. A minute that felt like fifty years.

And she had a daughter who looked to be about fifteen.

His head was spinning like mad, and he could barely breathe. That girl that he had sold White Zombie and Duran Duran to was….. HIS daughter? He could add, it made sense, so unless Jackie had slept with a guy quite quickly after that once she came here, which was not Jackie like at all, whose kid was it going to be?

This was really heavy. So he grabbed his phone and called the only person who would be able to listen to it.

"Hello?" Eric Foreman asked.

"Eric, it's Hyde."

"Hey Hyde, how're-?"

"I found Jackie."

"…. What?"

"And I think I have a daughter…."

"WHAT?!"


	4. Drain You: Nirvana

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews you've been sending my way!! I'm glad that people are liking this story, and I hope to take it many places. Happy Memorial Day!!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW nor any of the rock and roll references I may be mentioning. I do own Ash, and she's just terrific!

"Okay, so can you just verbally tell me that this Steven guy is my Dad?" Ash asked as she and Jackie walked up the sidewalk to the Hodge's house.

"Yes, Steven Hyde is your Dad."

"Why didn't you ever tell me about him!?" Ash demanded.

"Excuse me, did we NOT just have a conversation yesterday about you not wanting to know who your Dad was?" Jackie hissed, so as not to disturb the neighbors with their sordid tale.

"Well why did you take me seriously?" Ash hissed back. "You should have been like 'your Dad is named Steven Hyde, he owns a record store named Grooves and is apathetic in every way'!"

"Look, how was I supposed to know that you were going to run into him in DINKYTOWN?" Jackie exclaimed. "The last I heard, sixteen years ago, was that he was still in Point Place!"

"People move, Mom," Ash huffed. "Small fuckin' world, huh?"

"Ash! For God's sake, watch your language!" Jackie exclaimed, knocking on the Hodge's door.

"Well it is!"

"Yeah, it's a small fuckin' world," Jackie agreed. "Look, don't tell Debbie and Matt, but I am going to pull Paul aside and tell him what is going on, okay?"

"What if he goes to Dinkytown and beats Steven up?" Ash asked.

"Ash, do you really think your uncle Paul could beat anyone up?" Jackie asked. "I mean, he may LOOK like that 'Twin Peaks' guy, but he ISN'T."

"See, you think he looks like him too, I'm not the only one," Ash said, and the front door opened.

"Welcome!" Debbie said, hugging Jackie and Ash, and kissing them on the cheeks. She was a cheerful woman with impeccable taste, and looked great at sixty seven years old. "I'm so glad you were able to make it tonight, Matthew has a great meal prepared!"

"Hello, Debbie," Jackie said, putting on a very happy face, and Ash smiled too, a little too broadly. "Thanks for inviting us, I brought ice cream." Ash held it out, and grinned some more.

"Oh good, it will go with the streusel," Matt said, walking from the kitchen, an apron around his chest. He hugged both women, and took the ice cream into the kitchen.

"You two sit, make yourselves at home," Debbie said. "I'm going to finish putting things out and once everyone arrives, we'll eat!" She scurried into the dining room, and Jackie and Ash took off the 'everything's okay' faces and sat in the living room.

"Hello girls!" Paul said, entering from the upstairs. "How are you today?"

"Paul, I have some very weird news to tell you," Jackie said, standing up abruptly.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, looking from her to Ash.

"It's not awful, but it's not awesome either," Ash said, leaning back on the couch.

"Paul, Ash's father is working in Dinkytown," Jackie said, lowly.

"….. I'm sorry, what did you say?" Paul asked.

"My Dad," Ash said. "Surprise! He's a Sconnie no more!"

"I mean really, could this day throw any more surprises my way?" Jackie asked, as a tall, blonde man walked into the room with Debbie.

"Jackie, this is Allan Dumbrowski," she said. "He's an orthodontist, and I invited him tonight because I thought you two would get along!" Jackie looked up at the strange man, and smiled as best she could.

"Oh by the way, Mom, Debbie is trying to set you up tonight," Ash said, and smirked.

* * *

After dinner and uncomfortable conversation with Allan, Jackie and Paul went onto the back porch to talk about the whole thing. Allan had to leave because of an orthodontic emergency, so Ash was left to help clean up with Matt and Debbie.

"Ash, what is on your mind?" Debbie asked. "You aren't nearly as talkative as usual."

"Oh, it's my workshop," she lied. She was good at embellishing the truth. She was a writer, after all. "The kids in it are pretty ignorant. I mean, come on. Nothing is more contrived than a story about a boy and his dog, am I right?"

"I agree," Matt said. "My students needed to be taught how to write better. There's nothing worse than reading a paper analysis about Hawthorne that can't put together a coherent thought much less an argument."

"Agreed," Ash said. "Yeah. So it's just the workshop." She shot a glance towards her Mom and Uncle on the back porch.

"So he's opened a new record store?" Paul asked, and Jackie nodded, sitting on the railing of the porch. "That is so surreal. How didn't you know it was his if it was the same name?"

"Oh you think I actually look at the stores names when I see Ash's bike outside?"

"Well, what did you say?"

"Nothing," she answered. "I ran. I grabbed Ash, his DAUGHTER, and RAN. I feel like such an idiot, but what else was I supposed to say? 'Oh hi, Steven! I see you've met your daughter, Ash. It's been awhile, yes?'?"

"Well it's better than just grabbing Ash and running for the hills," Paul said.

"I've always been one with my flight sense," Jackie said, and Paul chuckled a little bit. "I mean… JEEZE! And Steven is no idiot, he's most likely figured out Ashleigh is his. Who else's would she be?"

"Some guy from here?"

"No, he knows I don't sleep with men that fast, he knows all too well," Jackie said.

"Except that one night," Paul said.

"Well that doesn't count, once I've done it with a man it's touch and go from there on out," she said. "It was like that with Michael, it was like that with Steven.."

"It was like that with Aaron," Paul said.

"It was like that with Aaron."

"Until he cheated on you."

"Until he cheated on me." She sighed a little bit, and he sighed too. "I just can't believe this. What should I do?"

"…. I don't know," he said. "I mean…. Well, do you think he'd want to be in Ash's life?"

"I don't know," Jackie said. "Part of me says yes."

"Would you let him in her life?"

"Of course I would, if she wanted him to be," Jackie said. "I don't know if she would, though. I mean, sure, she doesn't know much about him, but just yesterday she was kind of bitter about him."

"Well…. I guess it's up to her," Paul said. "Can you handle him in your life?"

"….. I don't know," Jackie said. "You know, there were times that I would curse the day that I ever fell in love with Steven Hyde. But then I had Ash. So I guess Steven was the best mistake I ever made."

"That's a very positive way to look at it," Paul said, and put his arm around her shoulder. She smiled, and rested her head on his shoulder.

Ash finished cleaning the dishes, and looked through the window to the porch. Jackie and Paul were done talking, and were just standing now. Ash knocked on the window, and walked through the glass doors. They turned, and she smiled.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. Jackie and Paul turned to her.

"Yes," Jackie said. "Ash, I'm sure that you are very confused right now."

"Yeah, I guess," Ash said.

"And I will understand if you are mad at me," Jackie continued.

"Why would I be mad at you?" Ash asked. "I never asked and I never wanted to know. Just because it kind of fell into my lap doesn't mean it was your fault." Jackie nodded, and hugged her daughter. Ash hugged her back, and sighed.

"So it's your call, honey," Paul said. "What do you want to do?" Ash pulled away, and thought for a second.

"I don't know," she said. "Do I have to decide now?"

"No," Jackie said. "For now we can just go spend time with Matt and Debbie."

"Sounds good to me," Ash stated. "I could use some good old fashioned Matt and Debbie streusel."

* * *

Hyde had been on the phone with Eric for an hour, he told him the whole situation and was waiting for advice. 

"So what are you going to do?" Eric asked.

"I don't know, man," Hyde said. "She just ran like she'd seen a ghost and took the kid with her. So if she is mine there's obviously no way that I'm getting near her."

"Well do you want to get near her if she's yours?" Eric asked.

"….. No."

"Why not?"

"Because….. I just don't."

"Oh great, is this another of your 'I'm poison to everything I touch and care for' moments?" Eric asked. "Because you're a grown man, you'd think you'd be past those by now."

"Hey, that's harsh."

"Well Hyde, this mentality is why you haven't held on to anyone besides your high school friends," Eric said. "And even that's not completely true since Jackie left."

"Well who knows what she's told this kid about me."

"Come on, Jackie's Yoko Ono and the Devil but she wouldn't bad mouth you to your daughter," Eric said. "Besides, from how you described it, it sounds like the kid had no clue who you were."

"Maybe that's just how it should be," Hyde said.

"Dammit Hyde, can't you just stop with the pity party for one minute and just think?" Eric asked. "She's your DAUGHTER. Yours. You have a kid. Now what are you going to do about it?" Hyde sighed.

"I don't know," Hyde stated.

"I'll tell you what you're going to do. You're going to at least try and get to know her. Because if you don't you're going to regret it," Eric said. "If I was away from my kids I would go insane. Don't do that to yourself."

"…. Thanks man," Hyde said.

"Now you do realize that I am going to be obligated to tell Donna about this," Eric said.

"Yeah."

"Alright then," Eric said. "I'm going to let you go, I have to get my kids from tee ball and pee wee soccer."

"Eric, I don't know if I can do this."

"Well, maybe you won't have to," Eric said. "Let me know, okay?"

"Yeah." They hung up, and Hyde rubbed his eyes.

* * *

Paul said that he would tell his parents what happened, and Jackie and Ash drove home after dinner. Ash was still quiet, and Jackie didn't feel like talking either.

"Good streusel," was all Jackie said.

"Like you ate any."

"I had a small slice!"

"You mean you had a small sliver."

"…It's synonymous." Ash grinned genuinely at her mom.

"Pathetic."

"Am not."

They pulled up to the house, and got out of the car to a surprise. Hyde was sitting on the front porch. Ash and Jackie exchanged glances, and Jackie's first instinct was to get back into the car and drive off. But she did that once already today, and if she did it again she'd look like a complete lunatic.

"He's just sitting there," Ash whispered. Jackie didn't want to look totally nuts. So instead, she took Ash by the hand, and walked to the porch.

"Hello, Steven," she said. He nodded, and looked at Ash. His throat tightened, he could just look at the girl and he knew. She was his. She had his neutral zen face down pat and didn't even know she was making it.

"Hi, Jackie," he said. "I…. Can we….? I don't…"

"Ash, you can go inside if you want," Jackie said, and Ash nodded slowly. She walked past Hyde, whose eyes trailed her slowly. She looked at him, and he looked away quickly. Ash glanced at her Mom, and then walked into the house. As soon as the door closed, Hyde put his hands to his forehead.

"How did you find my house?" Jackie asked.

"There are only two Jackie B Burkharts in the phone book, and I never thought you'd live willingly in the Seward Neighborhood," he stated.

"Oh," she said.

"And you like lakes, and Lake Nokomis is what, ten blocks that way?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is," she said. "Steven, we have a lot to talk about, and-."

"Is she mine?" he asked, flat out. Jackie sighed, and hugged herself. She nodded, slowly. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?!"

"Please don't yell, I have neighbors," she shushed.

"Well what else am I supposed to do?" he demanded. "You skip out of town, I don't see you for sixteen years, and then I find out that I have a daughter?!"

"Steven, stop it," she snapped. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until I'd settled in here, and I didn't know what I was going to tell you! 'Hi Steven, it's Jackie. Just calling to tell you I'm pregnant. How's THAT news for a commitment phobe?'" He sighed angrily, and she sat on the porch swing. "I had cut you out of my life and I didn't want to turn back. I know it was selfish and stupid, but cut me some slack, okay? I was twenty years old, and scared to stupidity." He nodded, and leaned against the porch pillar.

"Besides, I thought you wouldn't want the responsibility of a baby," Jackie continued, sitting on the swing. "You didn't want the responsibility of a relationship."

"Wow, you really hold grudges don't you?" he asked. "It's great how I'm the one who's been wronged here and YOU managed to make me the bad guy!"

"I'm not making you the bad guy, Steven!" she exclaimed. "Look, I know I should have told you about Ash. I know, and-."

"Yeah, Ash," he said, softly. She looked up at him. "I like that name…." She smiled a little bit.

"I figured that you would," she said. "I sort of thought of you when I named her. It's short for Ashleigh. Ashleigh Lorelei Burkhart." He smiled a little too, and looked at Jackie.

"Do you know how weird today has been?" was all he could manage. She laughed a little bit, and nodded.

"I have an idea," she said.

Ash watched through the drapes. Her parents were talking but they weren't yelling or clawing each other. She wondered how two people who could be so civil could hurt each other so much that she would leave and never look back.

"So can I see her?" Hyde asked.

"It's up to her," Jackie said. "Honestly, I have no problem with it, I really don't. But she has to make that decision."

"Yeah, I suppose so," he said. He sat on the swing next to her. "What's she like?" Jackie smiled at her ex.

"Well, she's been on the A honor roll since middle school," Jackie said. "So she's smart. She's very kind, and empathetic, but she does have a tendency to lean towards elitism. She loves to write, and to read, and she loves music and animals. She has a few good friends, kind of like we did. And Steven, she hates the Man." Hyde burst out laughing, and leaned forward, clasping his hands together.

"She sounds great."

"She is." He nodded, and stood up.

"When will I know?" he asked. "When will I know if she wants me in her life or not?"

"She knows where your store is," Jackie said. "Honestly I don't know how long it's going to take her. She was pretty confused today." He nodded, and crossed his arms.

"…. Okay," he said. "I'm gonna go."

"Steven, if you want to talk some more…"

"Maybe later," he said. "I just…. I gotta go."

Ash watched him get up and leave, and she rushed up the stairs since her Mom was going to come back into the house. She didn't want her to know she'd been spying.

Jackie watched Hyde leave, and walked into the house. The phone was ringing, and she grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"It's Paul."

"Of course it is," Jackie said. "You will NEVER guess what happened."

"Do I want to know?"

"He was on my doorstep when we got home."

"Are you serious? Like a stalker or something?"

"No, not like a stalker," Jackie said. "He just wanted to talk, and it was civil, and he got a little angry but it was Steven angry, so it wasn't scary angry."

"I'll take your word for it," Paul said. "How is Ash doing?"

"I don't know, I think she went upstairs," Jackie said.

"And how are you doing?"

"…. I don't know that either," Jackie said, and Ash tromped down the steps. "Hey, I'm going to go though, I think I need to talk some things over with my daughter."

"Ugh, more talking?" Ash asked. She walked into the kitchen, and sat at the table. Jackie said her goodbyes to Paul, and then walked into the kitchen as well. "So what is there to talk about?"

"Uh, I guess…. A lot!" Jackie declared, sitting across from her. "Your Dad has said that he wants to get to know you, but I told him it was up to you."

"Up to me?" Ash asked.

"Yeah," Jackie said. "I mean, I have no problem with it, so it's really up to you. Do you want to get to know your father?" Ash thought for a good two minutes. She wasn't sure. For one thing, she had gone 15 years without a father, and she turned out fine. She never felt the need to find her father and get to know him. But now that he was no longer just a concept, it made things a little more complicated, which she hated."You need to tell me everything he did," Ash said. "I can't make a decision unless I know all the facts. I'm trying to make logic out of an illogical situation."

"Ash, you need to know that what your father and I had was a very-."

"Mom," Ash said, firmly. "I just… I need to know. You know that." Jackie sighed, and nodded.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jackie asked. "Because it's a long story, and I don't condone underage drinking, but you're going to bed, so maybe some wine to 'take the edge off'?"

"Uhhh…. I'll just stick to orange juice," Ash said, and Jackie grabbed a bottle of wine and a glass for herself. "Are you going to drink all of-?"

"I've digging up old feelings and regrets, I think I deserve some wine," Jackie stated bitterly, and Ash nodded, somewhat wide eyed. "Well, then we'll start at the beginning. I met your father when I was your age. I was dating one of his friends at the time…"

Ash listened to the story in it's entirety, and as it went on she did ask her Mom for a small glass of wine due to the intensity. The more her mother said, the more Ash felt her stomach tie up, knot upon knot. When Jackie laughed, Ash smiled. When Jackie got angry, Ash felt a pin prick of resentment. And when Jackie cried, Ash held her tears in. Eventually the mother and daughter felt like their souls had been pummeled with a baseball bat, and when Jackie finished the story it was almost twelve thirty in the morning. Ash wasn't a girl to cry about this kind of thing. She hated crying because to her that meant that she was letting her emotions control her. She liked being in control. Red eyed and tired, Jackie corked the wine bottle that had a two thirds of a bottle left.

"So there you have it," Jackie said, rubbing her eyes. "The story of your father and I. Was it what you expected?" Ash sat motionless in her chair.

"I think I want to go to bed," she said, her voice low.

"Heh, me too," Jackie said. "So I know that gives you a lot to think about, but you deserved to hear it all."

"Yeah," Ash said, standing up slowly. "…. Yeah."

"What are you thinking?" Jackie asked. Ash put a hand to her forehead, and took in a deep breath.

"I'm thinking 'I always pictured my father as a guy who basically did the right thing but couldn't find a way to make things work'. But now that I know who he is, and what he's done, I'm thinking 'why did I have to share half my DNA with such a jackass?'" she said, and walked out of the kitchen. Jackie moaned a little, and put her hands to her face. She considered uncorking the bottle, but decided against it, and cleaned up before going to bed.


	5. Hurt: Nine Inch Nails

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, you guys! I'm so happy you're enjoying this. Just as a warning, this chapter is kind of angsty. But I suppose you can't have the happiness without a little angst. At least in my stories. Hope you enjoy it!!!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70s Show nor any rock references I may make. And nor do I own my local boy Bob Dylan

* * *

Ash couldn't sleep. She turned over and looked at her clock. It was two in the morning. She moaned, knowing that 1) she had to get up at six thirty to bike to the U by nine, and 2) she had so much to think about and it wasn't helping her sleeping situation. So there was only one person that she could talk to about all these thoughts in her head. And that person was Sam Shumacker. 

Ash had been friends with Sam ever since she moved into the neighborhood at age nine. Though Ash was close to a couple of girl friends, namely Maddie and Shelly, Sam was that true blue pal every person should have in their life. And looking at the clock, she figured that he would probably be up watching horror movies, as it was summer time. She crawled out of bed, disturbing Claudius, and looked out towards Sam's house that was two houses across the street. Indeed, his room was flickering in celluloid. She smiled, and dialed his number.

"Shumacker Residence, it's two in the morning so this better be important," he answered.

"Oh believe me, it is," she said.

"Ash?" he asked. "Don't you have your writing class in the morning?"

"I can't sleep," she said. "And I needed someone to talk to. I figured you'd be up."

"Well I'm up but my family isn't," he said, and she heard the telltale horror movie sound effects be muted. "So what's going on?"

"Crazy story. Are you ready?"

"Is this crazy crazy? Or 'I saw Jesus the messiah in a waffle' crazy?"

"It depends. How religious are you?"

"You know I'm Jewish."

"Okay, then it's the former. Sam. Yesterday I inadvertently met my Dad," she said. There was silence on the line. "Did you hear me? I said-."

"I heard you," he said. "……. Tree house? Five minutes?"

"Yeah, okay," she stated, and hung up.

After throwing on a robe, she snuck out the back door and climbed up the tree house boards in her hippo slippers. They rarely used the tree house anymore, only if they were studying or she had a date and wanted a place to make out. That rarely happened, and when it did it usually ended with Sam finding out and saying that she'd defiled the Friend Spot. Which meant her dates would split. But tonight it was coming to be of use again.

He climbed in a few minutes after her.

"What the HELL is going on?" he asked, obviously thrown.

"Isn't fate grand?" she asked.

"I'm not sure," he stated. "Start from the beginning." She gave him the abridged version, which only took fifteen minutes.

"So he's working in Dinkytown and he's a successful business owner but I think I don't like him," she said. "I mean, after all that stuff he did to my Mom. The cheating, the stripper. Oh by the way, the stripper had the same name as you."

"No wonder your Mom prefers to call me Samuel," he said. "But he wants to be in your life, right?"

"Yep."

"But you aren't excited?"

"Nope. What should I do?"

"…. Ashleigh, you just called me away from 'The Hills Have Eyes' to kvetch about your scummy Dad?"

"Hey, I thought it was big news!"

"It is big news, but I sure as hell can't help you figure this out!" he exclaimed. "I mean, come on! Only you can figure this out for yourself! You know that." She sighed.

"Yeah, I suppose," she stated. "Well…. Thanks anyway."

"Can I go back to my movie?"

"Aren't you going to give me a hug or anything?" she asked.

"Ash, come ON," he said, and she stuck out her lower lip. He sighed, and hugged her. "There, you got a hug. Look, go to bed, think about it for a couple days. Sleep can make things a lot clearer than they were the night before."

"Yeah, probably," she said. "Thanks. Go back to your sadistic movie." He nodded, and climbed out of the tree house. She followed, and they stood on the grass.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Because this is a lot to have to deal with."

"I'm fine," she said.

"Are you?"

"Yes!" she said firmly. He nodded, and they went their separate ways.

She got under the covers and stared at the ceiling. Maybe Sam was right. Maybe sleep would make things a little clearer. But at the same time, repressing all these feelings was getting to be a burden

* * *

Jackie stared at the phone in her store. It was beckoning her to take that number she'd looked up and dial it. She tapped her fingers on the counter, and cringed. She grabbed the phone, and dialed. She pursed her lips as she waited for the other end to pick up.

"Grooves in Dinkytown." She hung up quickly, and put her hands to her face. She growled, and hit her forehead repeatedly.

"For an independent woman you are still such a wuss," she muttered to herself, and hit the redial button.

"Grooves in Dinkytown."

"….. Hi. It's me. Jackie."

"….. Yeah, I know. Are you the one just called me and hung up?" he asked. "Like, three times already today?"

"Yeah, that all was me," she said.

"….. What's going on?" he asked.

"I just wanted to tell you that I talked to Ash last night," she said.

"How did it go?"

"…. It's hard to say."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her everything about you and me."

"Aw crap! I can't believe this!"

"What, was I supposed to lie?" Jackie asked, angrily.

"No, but now I sound like the total jackass I used to be and she probably won't want to see me ever again!" he exclaimed.

"Now I'm sure that's not true," Jackie said.

"Jacks, think about it. You're a fifteen year old girl raised by a single Mom. You meet your Dad, and you find out that he did to your Mom all the things I did to you. Would you want him in your life?" he asked. Jackie paused for a little while.

"Personally?... No."

"See?"

"But let me clause this!" she continued. "I am a spiteful person who likes to hold grudges. Ash is much more forgiving that I am."

"Where did she learn that?"

"Her Uncle Paul."

"Since when do you have a brother?"

"Since when weren't you a jackass anymore?"

"Ah, well met," he said, and she laughed a little bit. "Well, I guess all I can do is wait."

"I guess…. So, I guess that's all I called about," she said, and bit her lip.

"Oh…. Well, okay…. I guess…. See ya?"

"Yeah, see ya," she said, and hung up. She then hit the counter a couple of times. She hated thinking about all of it. She had considered calling Steven and telling him. She really had…

_She had returned home from the doctor, and leaned against the door of her apartment. She still knew his number, it was just as easy as picking up the phone and calling him. 'Hi Steven. It's Jackie. I know I left, but I'm pregnant and it's yours, so…' She shook her head, and decided to turn on the radio. She flipped it on, and sat in her chair, thinking as best she could. I just need a sign, she thought. I don't normally pay attention to signs, but tonight I could really use one. _

_And coincidence ended up setting the course she took. For on the radio, Bob Dylan's strumming came through. She looked at the radio, and listened to the song she had come to hate. My God how she hated it, and was living not five blocks away from where the hated composer had lived when he was around her age. Now he was singing about her. She burst into tears, feeling utterly alone and desperate. She sobbed into her hands, and listened to Bob Dylan._

**You never turned around to see the frowns on the jugglers and the clowns  
When they all come down and did tricks for you  
You never understood that it ain't no good  
You shouldn't let other people get your kicks for you  
You used to ride on the chrome horse with your diplomat  
Who carried on his shoulder a Siamese cat  
Ain't it hard when you discover that  
He really wasn't where it's at  
After he took from you everything he could steal.  
**

_She wailed, and hit the chair a few times. What the fuck was she going to do now? He just saw her as a rolling stone, how could she go back to that? She put a hand over her stomach, her stomach that looked so normal but was anything but, and covered her mouth with her other hand so as not to disturb her neighbors._

_  
_**How does it feel?  
How does it feel?  
To be on your own?  
With no direction home?  
Like a complete unknown?  
Like a rolling stone?**

Jackie shook the memory from her mind. Why was it that she could suppress him for 16 years, and then in one day it would all flood back to her? Steven Hyde, you drive me crazy, she thought, and went to help a customer.

* * *

Ash hadn't been able to pay attention in class that day. She hadn't listened to the teacher and she had barely worked on her final writing piece, even though they were given a block of time to do so. She stared at her paper, trying her damnedest to write but unable to. She just scribbled out random words in an attempt at ideas through association, but it wasn't working. She just scribbled over each word and crossed her arms. 

"Ashleigh?" the teacher said, standing above her. "Having a writer's block?"

"Yeah," she said. "I'm not really…. I can't think of anything to write about, I guess." He smiled, and pat her shoulder.

"It happens to the best of us," he said. "Just take your time. Explore your feelings and you'll find an answer." She smiled as best she could.

"Yeah, I don't doubt it," she said. "I'm thinking….zombies and vampires." He chuckled, and she smirked at him.

"I have a feeling the class is in store for something truly strange," he said.

"Oh, don't you know it," she stated. She went back to her scrap paper, and thought about what he said. Explore your feelings and you'll find an answer. She couldn't help but apply it to her OTHER problem, the problem no one around her knew about.

Adrian sat next to her.

"Zombie and vampires?" he asked.

"Oh what, now you're eavesdropping?" she demanded.

"No," he said, and leered at her. "It just sounds like something you'd write, that's all."

"Well what are YOU writing?" she asked.

"Nothing special," he answered.

"Ah. Well that sounds like something you'd write," she said.

"Ouch," he stated, and stood. She smiled about her zinger. At least that was going okay. "I enjoy our verbal sparring." She was caught off guard by this statement, and looked at him, confused. He just smiled smugly, and went back to his stuff. She found herself watching him, and then stared back at her paper. Jerk.

* * *

She biked home, and plopped down on the couch to watch a movie. The phone rang. She grabbed it. 

"Hello?"

"Ash, it's Paul."

"Hey Paul."

"How are you?"

"I'm fine, why?"

"Well, considering everything that's going on, I thought that I'd ask," he said.

"Paul, I'm fine!" she said, laughing a little bit in an attempt to sound fine. After all, if she sounded it she would be it. "Really, I'm doing a lot of thinking and I'm completely fine." Paul knew not to press the issue with her, so he decided to drop it.

"Okay," he said. "I can't imagine your mother is home yet…"

"Nope," Ash said. "Just watching a movie by myself."

"What movie?"

" 'A Clockwork Orange'."

"…. Lovely," Paul said. "You're not even sixteen yet, you shouldn't be watching that movie!"

"Hey, I've read the book like five times, okay?" she said. "Mom said that if I read the book I could watch the movie, and I did read it. So it's only fair. Come on, you know I own it!"

"Yes yes yes," Paul said. "Look, I'm going to ask one more time. Do you want to talk?"

"No," she said. "Everyone needs to stop asking me that."

"Okay," he said. "Well, enjoy your exploration in depravity."

"Thanks Paul. Bye." She hung up, and wrapped a blanket around herself as she watched. The phone rang again. She grabbed it, getting slightly irritated.

"Hello?"

"I just got your message!" Maddie exclaimed. "SWEETIE!! I am coming over right away!"

"You don't have to-."

"No, I'm already on my way out the door with the car keys!!"

"…. Maddie, you have no driver's license yet," Ash said. "How are you going to drive?"

"Oh psh, don't worry about that, Mom and Dad are at Tyler's t ball game, and the team is going out for pizza afterwards, they won't be home for hours."

"That wasn't really what I meant…" But Maddie hung up.

Maddie arrived with a tub of ice cream and three chick flicks.

"I have just what we need!" she said, smiling widely.

"Mads, I'm not mourning over a break up, I'm just really freaked out about my Dad," Ash said.

"Ice cream and 'Dirty Dancing' will always cure what ails you," Maddie said. "Okay, tell me what's going on. From the top." There was a knocking on the back porch door. Ash turned, and Maddie ran to it. "I took the liberty of inviting Sam too."

"Jesus, why didn't you just throw Shelly into the mix too?" Ash asked.

"Uh, she's at Concordia Language Camp for the next two weeks," Maddie said, flipping her blonde hair. "Come on, Ash, you knew that."

"Again, you've missed the point," Ash said, and Maddie let Sam in. "Hello, Sam."

"Ash, Maddie," he said. "Ooh! Ice cream and Jennifer Grey, I'm in HEAVEN!"

"Well that's too bad, because we're watching 'A Clockwork Orange'," Ash said. "Ice cream and Malcolm McDowell is MY idea of heaven."

"Um, that movie is NOT something to watch when you're already angry," Maddie said. "Now if you'll just hand me the VCR remote-."

"Touch it and die, Mads," Ash said.

"So okay, let's catch Maddie up," Sam said, and Ash told her the story. Maddie listened, and they all ate the ice cream with the spoons she'd brought. Maddie actually put the spoon down in disgust a couple times. When it was all over, she was leaning on the couch, contemplating.

"….. A stripper, huh?" she asked. Ash and Sam nodded.

"Yah," Ash said, and Maddie tapped her spoon against her lips.

"A trashy bottle blonde stripper from Vegas."

"Uh huh."

"….. Well screw him!" Maddie exclaimed.

"Maddie!" Ash and Sam both said.

"What?!" Maddie exclaimed. "Now I'm glad we're watching a movie about violence and rape and all those horrible things, it helps me vent!"

"Look, I'm just lost right now and trying to figure it all out," Ash said. "Ice cream and movies aren't going to solve this problem, but the fact that you, Sam, have listened to this whole thing twice, and YOU, Maddie, have broke the traffic laws to get here… it means a lot." Maddie and Sam both smiled.

"Wait, Maddie, what did you do?" Sam asked.

"…. I drove."

"Jesus."

"It's SO not a big deal," she said, propping her sandal clad foot against the coffee table. "I'm a good driver, and I'm THIS close to getting my license."

"THIS close, and actually having the license are not interchangeable," Ash said.

"Oh whatever," Maddie said. "You just concern yourself with your stripper loving Dad, not my driving abilities."

"Man, you are REALLY hung up on the stripper thing," Sam said.

"Who would pick a stripper over your Mom?" Maddie asked. "She's pretty, she's smart, she's totally cool with your friends and stuff…"

"She's high maintenance, she's incredibly self absorbed at times," Ash listed.

"But she isn't a STRIPPER!" Maddie exclaimed. Ash burst out laughing, and hit Maddie with a pillow. "Ow. I guess my only question is are you holding up okay?"

Ash was getting pretty sick of this question. Had she led them to believe otherwise? Why couldn't people just take it at face value? She was fine.

"Yeah, I'm cool," Ash said, and looked back at the TV. "…. Let's just watch the rest of the movie."

* * *

Jackie returned home at nine, to find Ash asleep on the couch. When she went to cover her with more blanket, Ash sat up abruptly.

"JEEZE!" Jackie exclaimed. "Give me a heart attack!"

"Sorry," Ash said. "I guess I'm a light sleeper today."

"I guess," Jackie said. "So…. Have you thought about your father?"

"Yes," Ash said. "And I'm going to keep thinking about it, if that's okay by you."

"It's fine," Jackie said. "But I talked to him today, and he sounds really…. Out of character and almost anxious to get to know you."

"Well he will have to wait like everyone else," Ash said, standing up.

"Okay," Jackie said. "…. Are you okay?"

"I'm FINE!" Ash snapped. "God, why does everyone keep asking me that?! Stop prodding me about him and STOP ASKING IF I'M OKAY! CUZ I'M FINE!" She stormed up the steps, and slammed her door. Jackie cringed at the slam, and then sighed as White Zombie blasted from her room. Claudius ran downstairs to escape the angry music, and Jackie walked to the sink and rested her hands on it. She had always been free and open with her feelings, but Ash was a different story. She held them in, hoping if she did that they would just go away. It was hard to deal with for Jackie, and they would usually both get mad until Ash either a) did forget about them, or b) exploded in a blind fury or sadness. With this situation, Jackie didn't know which the favorable outcome was. To forget about Steven or melt down over him…. Jackie had tried the first but always ended up doing the second. And she knew everything about him. For their daughter who knew nothing about him? The situation was unimaginable.

* * *

Ash biked by Grooves Friday morning, and slowed her bike to a stop when she saw her Dad through the window. He was sorting records, and he looked like hell. She walked to the window, and peered through it. What could she say? He had treated her Mom so awfully, and threw her aside over and over again. And yet Ash was so drawn to his damn store. No, not the store. Him. She tilted her head, and Hyde looked up. Ash pulled away from the window, and leapt on her bike.

Hyde had seen her, and rushed from the store.

"Ash!" he called, and she ignored him as she pedaled with all her might. She bit her lip, and ignored his calls. She shook her head, and just kept going. Even though she could hear the pleading in his voice, the wounds were still open and bleeding. She decided to face the demon, slowed her bike, and turned to look at him. Oh God, this is going to be worse than I ever imagined, she thought.

"Ash, hey," he said. "I talked to your Mom, and she told me that she told you everything about me."

"Yeah, she did," she said, her voice trembling from… was it fear? Sadness? Excitement? He couldn't tell.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you that everything that happened between us, it wasn't really anyone's fault-," he began, and she threw her arms in the air.

"OH COME ON!" Ash shouted, surprised at her harshness. He was surprised too. I guess that trembling was rage, he thought. "She told me everything you did to her! The cheating, the stripper, everything!"

"Yeah, I know how the things I did affected her, and-."

"How can you know?!" she yelled. "You don't know anything about my Mom, or me! Now you think that since you know I exist you can just waltz in and repair everything you've done to her because I am a product of your FUCKED UP relationship?! Yeah right!" Fucking A I'm a goddamn Chernobyl, she thought frantically.

"Ash, just let me explain some things-."

"SHUT UP! I don't want to hear it!" she snapped, and her resentment towards a lack of a Dad began to take her over. She had never cared about who he was until she knew who he was, it was strange and surreal. The years of not knowing him, and finding out WHY…. It was too much for a fifteen year old to take. "Even if she had told you about me, would that have changed anything? I seriously doubt it! If I were her I would have forgotten about you after the fucking stripper! White trash bastard!! Get FUCKED!!" With that, she leapt back on her bike, and biked as fast as she could, swallowing her emotions the entire way.

She got to Folwell Hall, and chained her bike up, out of breath. She rested against a tree, and exhaled a few times. Keep it together, she thought. Just get through the day, and then figure it all out when you get home. For God's sake, keep it together. You need to keep it together. She held her hands against her head, and took in a few more breaths. Once the panic had seeped back into her, she walked into the building.

Hyde had stopped following her, and just stood in the sidewalk as the 8:55am wind blew through the streets. His daughter had not only called him white trash, she had told him to get fucked. He hadn't hurt this bad since…. Since her Mom left. He sighed, and put a hand to his mouth. He felt sickness rising up, and walked back to his store trying to keep from yelling in frustration and self loathing.

* * *

Ash resting her head in her hands and staring at the table on the class break. She was so exhausted her eyes hurt. Her hands let go by accident, and head hit the table. She swore, and rubbed her hand on her forehead. 

Adrian sat down next to her.

"Sleepy?" he asked.

"How could you tell?" she responded, bleakly.

"Well the fact you're about to fall asleep doesn't really make it a subtlety," he said. "I hope you weren't up all night writing and rewriting."

"No, I have other things on my mind right now."

"Heh. How bad could they be? Story not turn out as perfect as you'd hoped?"

"Please go to hell."

"Aw come on, Ash, I'm just trying to make conversation," he said, and she looked at him with dark circles under her eyes. "Wow, you look like hell."

"Whenever you try to be nice, it ends up sounding like you're a total ASS," she snapped.

"Why are you such a bitch today?" he asked, and she threw his papers in his face and stormed from the classroom. She stomped down the hallway, and punched a wall in her anger and frustration at every aspect of her life. Even though it hurt like hell, she hit the wall again, hating everything that had gone on that morning, and slapped her hands against the marble walls over and over.

Adrian had followed her. She turned, and he waved a little bit.

"So… You aren't a bitch," he said. "I'm sorry. I can tell you're distressed and shouldn't have said that. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No!" she snapped. "I don't want to talk about it! Why doesn't anyone understand that I don't want to talk about it?!"

"Well sometimes talking can help," he said, holding up his hands. "Maybe at least cure the crazy eye thing you have going on today-."

"I don't need help!" she growled. "I need to be left alone!"

"Hah! If you think I'm going to leave you alone right now you're REALLY crazy," he said. "You're clearly upset and I'm not going to let you shove me away because you think of me as some kind of Moriarty to your Holmes."

"Why can't you just go away!" she snarled. "I don't need help with this! My Mom and I are fine, I don't need him! We've been fine without him for FIFTEEN YEARS!"

"You don't need who?" he asked, and she paced from wall to wall in the empty hallway. "Ashleigh….. You clearly aren't fine. What is going on? Two days ago you were completely normal. Snarky, but normal, and…. I kind of want snarky Ashleigh back, because devastated Ashleigh, well, she kind of scares me." She hugged herself, continuing to pace but slower now.

"Ashleigh," he said, and grabbed her shoulders. She stared up at the sixteen year old, and felt her stoicism begin to crumble. "I know that tortured writers write the best stuff. Hell, John Kennedy Toole wrote 'Confederacy of Dunces' and it got him a Pulitzer, but his demons got him before he got it. You're only fifteen. I don't want you to be a tortured writer before you can even drive." She felt her chin quiver, and she burst into the tears that had been repressed since two days before. Adrian didn't really know what to do, so as a teenage boy, he put an arm around her shoulders. She sank to the floor, and he wrapped his arms around her. She clutched the arm of her self proclaimed enemy, and sobbed. When the teacher came outside the classroom to see where they were, Adrian just held up a hand, telling him that they needed some time. He rocked her slowly, completely winging it, and she held him tightly. She didn't ever stop to think about why she was clutching her nemesis so closely to herself. The comfort was all that mattered.


	6. I'll Stand By You: The Pretenders

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews!!! I hope that everyone is bearing with me. Last chapter was rough, but it can only go up from here, yes?

Disclaimer: I own neither 70s SHOW nor any rock references.

* * *

Hyde wasn't able to work. Ash's words kept repeating in his head that morning, and now that it was noon they weren't relenting. He knew he'd screwed up, but he had no idea when he played that song in 1980 he'd be still regretting it sixteen years later.

Hyde wasn't the type to cry. He'd rarely cried in his entire life. Sure, physical pain, that was okay to cry about in small doses. But emotional pain was not something to cry over. He could remember three times that he had. The first was when his Mom left, and that was only for about ten minutes. The second was when Jackie dumped him for cheating on her, and that was just for about five minutes and because he'd told her he loved her and she'd rebuffed it. Like everyone in his life. The third, though… That was bad. It was a few months after Jackie had up and left for good. He had been cleaning his room, actually cleaning it completely, and he found one of the shirts she had liked wearing to sleep. It was one of those things that no one would have believed him if he told them. She had a KISS shirt she wore to bed when she was at his place. He'd outgrown the band pretty much, but she loved that damn shirt. After he'd dumped her for Sam, he'd shoved it deep under the bed and forgotten about it. When he found it that day, he had actually cried hard. Even bordering on sobbing. And it lasted the rest of the afternoon.

So now instead of crying, he decided to vent his emotions over their daughter the best way he knew how: getting nice and stinking drunk off his ass. Even if alcohol got him in more trouble, it was still the best way to forget everything.

"David, you're in charge," he said as he walked by his underling and out the door.

* * *

Adrian drove Ash home that afternoon. He let her change the radio station to the hard rock one, and just smiled a little bit. They pulled up to her house, and he whistled.

"Nice digs," he said.

"Thanks," she stated. "But don't you live on the River Road in Saint Paul?"

"… Yeah."

"You have the nice digs." They got out of the car, and she crossed her arms across her chest. He unloaded her bike, and she nodded at him.

"You didn't have to do that you know," she said.

"What, drive you home? You were in no condition to bike."

"No, I mean… The hallway, you know?" she asked.

"Oh," he said. "Well, it wasn't a big deal. When someone comes undone someone else should be there with them." She nodded, and smiled sort of.

"I liked your story," she said, and he chuckled.

"Ah, well, it wasn't about zombies or vampires, but it got the job done."

"Are you making fun of me?" she asked.

"….Only because I like ya," he stated, and she chuckled a little bit. "Well, give me a call sometime, Ashleigh."

"It's Ash," she said, and smiled a little at him and tucked some hair behind her ear. "I mean, it IS Ashleigh, but everyone calls me Ash, so…"

"Oh. Okay," he said. "Well… Good luck with everything. Leigh." He turned to leave.

"Hey hold on, everyone else calls me ASH, not LEIGH," she stated, hand on her hip.

"I'm not one to be like everyone else," he said. "See ya, Leigh." She nodded, and he got in his car, and drove away. Leigh, she thought. I could do Leigh. At least, if that's what he was going to insist on calling her it wasn't worth her time to argue. Yeah, that was it.

Jackie burst through the front door, scaring Ash half to death.

"Who was that?" she asked, and Ash glared at her Mom.

"Christ you scared me! What are you doing home?" she asked.

"I took Friday afternoon off, who was he? He was cute, is he a new friend?" Jackie prodded, and Ash walked inside. "Is he in your writing class? What's his name?"

"You are really dying for some answers, aren't you?" Ash asked.

"Uh, yes!" Jackie exclaimed, following her inside. "If not because I'm curious about your social life, I AM wondering who this strange kid was who drove you home!"

"Okay fine. He does go to my school a grade ahead of me, but I didn't know him at all until this summer. He's in my workshop, and offered to drive me," Ash said. "I… I kind of had a small meltdown in class today."

"What?" Jackie asked, and Ash held up her hands.

"But lucky for me, Adrian Lawson of all people was there to talk and calm me down," Ash said. Jackie cocked her head.

"Isn't that the kid you've been complaining about since you entered that class?"

"Yes. Funny how these things work, huh?" Ash asked, and trotted into the kitchen.

"Well… Wait!" Jackie exclaimed, following. "Are you okay? What happened?" Ash turned, and sighed.

"Okay, well I saw Dad and I kind of blew up at him," Ash said.

"Yikes. What did you say?"

"…. I just called him a loser and some names I probably shouldn't have," Ash said.

"Ash…"

"That was part one of my meltdown. Part TWO was when Adrian was there and… helped me." Jackie sighed, and hugged Ash.

"Are you okay now?" she asked.

"I think I am," Ash said. "And I think I'm close to making a decision about dad."

"Okay…."

"Yep…." Jackie knew she wasn't going to get anything else from Ash. Not yet.

"So we'll leave it at that. What do you want for dinner, sweetie?" she asked.

"….. Stuffed Peppers?"

"Oh I LOVE those!" Jackie exclaimed, hopping a little bit. Ash rolled her eyes.

"Gawd Mom," she said, picking up Claudius and walking up the steps.

"I'll just go to the store, then," Jackie said.

* * *

Jackie was on her way to the grocery store, when she had a thought she didn't want to have. How was Steven handling it? She sort of regretted wondering that, but couldn't help it. Ash could be relentless. So she turned the car around and went towards Dinkytown.

She parked on the street, and walked to Grooves. She walked in, and saw a college age kid at the counter. He looked up, and smiled at the hot woman who walked into the store.

"Well hello," he said. "Can I help you with a music selection today?"

"No, I'm looking for Steven Hyde. He owns the place, as I'm sure you know," Jackie said, crossing her arms.

"Oh. Well, he's had a rough day, I guess," the kid said, disappointed that she was not interested in chatting with him. "I think he went to the Dinkytowner."

"Thanks," Jackie said, and left the store.

She entered the bar, and indeed saw Hyde sitting and drinking. She groaned, and wondered how long he'd been there and how drunk he was. She strolled over, feeling eyes on her as she was the lone female at this hour, and sat next to him.

"Steven," she said. He looked up, and nodded at her.

"Oh. Hey Jackie," he said, waving a little bit. He was pretty drunk. Not completely gone, but drunk enough to make a complete nuisance of himself if he wanted to. "How're you?"

"I'm fine, Steven," she said. The bartender walked to her. "I'll just have a Shirley Temple, thanks." He nodded, and went to make her drink.

"Our daughter HATES me," Hyde said, and sipped on his beer.

"She doesn't hate you," Jackie said. "She's just really confused right now."

"No, no she HATES me," Hyde repeated, and the bartender placed her drink on the bar. "Not that I blame her, I'm not exactly my number one fan right now."

"Come on, you can't beat yourself up over a teenage girl's temper tantrum," Jackie said. "Granted, I've survived a few more than you have, but-."

"THIS was NOT a temper tantrum," Hyde said. "YOU threw temper tantrums. This was hate spewing from her mouth directed solely at me. I'm not even going to go into what she said, but I don't disagree with her. I'm… I'm a complete loser." Jackie rolled her eyes, and pulled his beer away from him.

"Well you're somewhat coherent. How many has he had?" she asked the bartender.

"About four," he said. "And also a couple whiskey shots. After the first three and before this one."

"And you just LET him drink all this?" she demanded.

"Hey, he's paying," was all the man said. She growled, and Hyde tried to take the beer back.

"Ah ah ah!" she snapped, and smacked his hand. "No you don't!"

"Hey, I paid for that," Hyde said. Jackie took his wallet away from his pocket, and took out his cash. "Hey! You're robbing me! MY EX IS ROBBING ME!"

"Oh calm down," Jackie said, putting the money in her pocket. "You'll get it back later when you aren't boozing your problems away. Barkeep, you are cutting him off as of right now. He has no money left. Get me a pitcher of water, please."

"Jackie," Hyde said, and grabbed her arm. She looked down at his hand, and then at him. "You have to talk to her."

"I have already," she said. "For your information, it's not like she blew up at you and then went on with her day. She had a COMPLETE breakdown at her workshop, to the point where a friend, or acquaintance, although I thought they were enemies…. Anyway, she had to be driven home. So I am still holding out hope that she will come around. But stop with the drinking. In fact, drink some water and then I'm taking you home."

"I have work," Hyde protested.

"You're ridiculous," Jackie said, and poured him some water as she took her arm away. "You aren't going back to work in THIS state. It's unprofessional."

"Good old Jackie," Hyde said, and she smiled at him a little bit. "Man, I was such an idiot. How did I ever let you go?" She sighed uncomfortably, and shrugged.

"Just drink your water."

"No, you are such a good person," he said, taking her arm again. "I never deserved you." She closed her eyes, those old feelings mumbling within her again. He needed to stop touching her. So she yanked her arm away, and thrust the glass of water into his hand.

"Drink. Your. Water." He nodded, and began to drink it.

After telling his worker (whose name, she learned, was David) that Hyde was going home for the day, Jackie drove Hyde home. He was complaining about his car, and she said that he could take a cab to work the next day and get it then. She helped him into his apartment, and wrinkled her nose at how…. Blah it was.

"Steven, you need to get some pictures up or something, because this place is downright depressing," she said, and helped him into the bedroom.

"It's fine," he muttered, and she sighed in exasperation. She went into the kitchen, and got him a big glass of water. She put it on his nightstand. "Arg. No more water, you made me drink enough at the bar."

"Not true," she said. "You are going to sober up and you are going to thank me later when your head isn't splitting open. Do you have any vitamins?"

"…. Huh?"

"That was a dumb question, forgive me," she said. "I may have some Flintstone ones in the very bottom of my purse. They're pretty convenient, I like them myself…"

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "You have no obligation to me whatsoever. I was such a jerk to you when you left, you should be totally disinclined to have anything to do with me." What could she say? She didn't even know. So she decided to avoid the topic.

"Hey, you're using big words, that's a start," she said. "You can't be as plastered as you were. See. Water works."

"Seriously. Why?" Fine, if he wanted to be that damned persistent. He'd had a rough day, she could throw him a bone.

"Because it's YOU, Steven, I've always had a soft spot for you," she stated, digging through her purse. "Even when you were with that dumb bitch stripper I still kept you in my life. And don't ask why because even now I can't answer it, especially why I'm doing it right now. Maybe it's because we were lovers, maybe it's because of Ash, but it's been there since I was a fifteen year old. Ah ha. Flintstone vitamins." She tossed him the bottle, and he caught it.

"I can't tell you that I know what Ash is going to do," she continued. "But I can tell you that I know our daughter. She's hurting. No doubt. But at least she isn't indifferent. Trust me. That's MUCH worse. I know from experience." They stared at each other for a little bit, and she cleared her throat.

"Now I'm going to go," she continued. "No more drinking tonight. Here's your money back." She handed it to him. "Goodbye, Steven." She left the apartment, and Hyde was left alone. He looked at the money, and the vitamin. He smiled despite himself, and exhaled. The spark was there. It was faint, but it was there. Had she felt it too? He couldn't tell. He hoped she was right about Ash, but wasn't sure.

* * *

After a dinner of peppers and salad, Ash was helping Jackie clean up the dishes. Ash hadn't asked what had taken her mother so long to get back from a grocery trip, and had a feeling she didn't want to know. 

"How were the peppers?"

"Good."

"I didn't use too much sauce, did I?"

"Nope."

"…..Can you tell me what you think you're leaning towards in regards to Steven?" Jackie asked flat out, and Ash rolled her eyes. "I mean, I will assume that this fight you two had was bad, but-."

"I think that we did just fine without him and we should continued doing just that," Ash said, putting down the dishrag and walking from the kitchen. Jackie followed.

"Ash, hold on a second," Jackie said. "Okay…. Now you are probably going to be upset with me, but I saw him today, and-."

"Well what did you go and do that for?" Ash exclaimed, spinning around.

"Because I wanted to make sure that he wasn't…. I don't know!" Jackie snorted.

"Why do you always go back to this guy?" Ash asked. "I mean, he treated you like crap, why should he get another chance from either of us? Why from me?"

"…. Because he's your father."

"Fuck him."

"Ash!" Jackie said, firmly, not pleased with the foul mouth that just seemed to keep growing on he daughter. "You can't run away from this! He's your Dad!"

"I don't need a Dad!"

"No, you don't NEED a Dad, but I can tell that you want one!" Jackie snapped. "What he did has hurt you! If it hadn't you wouldn't have had a breakdown!"

"So it hurt me! So what?" Ash snapped back, stomping up the steps.

"So that means you care! If you didn't care and you didn't want him in your life, you would have been completely apathetic, but you aren't!"

"Whatever," Ash muttered.

"Oh Jesus, not you too," Jackie said, and followed Ash up the steps. "Okay fine, yes, it's YOUR decision. I can't influence you, but if I were you I'd give him another chance."

"You know, you always did that and what did it get you?" Ash asked.

"You," Jackie said. Ash was sort of thrown, and stopped the beeline for her room. She turned, and smiled wryly at her mother.

"Ah, well met," she said, and Jackie chuckled. "…. I hate what he did to you, Mom, and I don't understand why you kept going back to him."

"I don't either, but it was my decision and I don't regret it," Jackie said. "Look, you and your father… You're alike in so many ways and it's really frustrating for me at times, let me tell you. And you obviously were connecting with him on some level when you didn't know he was you Dad." Ash sighed, and crossed her arms.

"Yeah…." Good, make her remember this, Jackie thought.

"Again, you need to make the decision best for you," Jackie said. "And any decision you make I'll support." Ash nodded. Jackie pet her hair a little, and kissed her head. Ash sighed, and hugged her Mom. Jackie smiled, and hugged her back.

"I'm going to go read," Ash said.

"Okay." Ash sighed, and walked into her room. As soon as the door was closed, Jackie hugged herself. Well Steven, I hope for your sake that she changes her mind. Of course now her skeptical side was in a tizzy. Why did you do that? You don't owe him any favors? Why couldn't you have let it work out on it's own? She shrugged at nothing, and went to read as well.

She heard a low rumbling of thunder in the distance. She smiled a little bit. Rain brought renewal. That was a good sign.

* * *

By Saturday afternoon, it had started to rain in the Twin Cities. As the rain fell outside in gentle drops, Hyde sighed. The past few days had been hell. The waiting was slowly killing him. He couldn't even fathom why he cared that much, he wasn't the type to form such an attachment to someone he didn't even know existed until two days prior. He couldn't stop thinking of Ash, and also Jackie. Seeing her brought back a bunch of memories and feelings he'd repressed for so long. And Ash, well, she brought on a whole other flood of emotions, and Hyde hated his emotions. When she yelled at him the day before, it hurt like no other pain he'd experienced. Kind of like when Jackie up and left, but at the same time completely different.

He had really despised himself in the past sixteen years and didn't even know it until now. He hadn't opened up to anyone, not even his closest friends, about Jackie, or his life, or his secret pain. He thought that maybe if he just ignored it, it would go away. Instead it manifested itself in broken relationship after broken relationship, and he became so immersed in work that he barely saw anyone anymore. After Jackie left, Donna and Eric left. And no one else was really that worth it to Hyde. And now he had two people in this new place that were worth more than anything else, and he didn't know if he was even going to see them.

And then there was the fact that Jackie was there for him yesterday. She could have stayed away, but she sought him out to make sure he was okay. He certainly didn't deserve it, but she did it regardless.

The door opened. He looked up, and was surprised to see Ash in a red raid coat.

"Hey," she said, pulling the hood down. His body tensed up, and he nodded quickly.

"……. Hey." She walked in the aisles of the store, not saying anything. Just looking at the CDs. She found one she liked, and brought it to the counter. "Warrant?"

"So?"

"They're awful!"

"Come on, 'She's my cherry pie, cool drink of water what a sweet surprise. Tastes so good, make a grown man cry, sweet cherry pie'," she recited the words monotone. "What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, though coming from your mouth I'm kind of disturbed…. I didn't think you were going to come."

"Yeah, I didn't either."

"Hm. That's disheartening," he said. She shrugged, and leaned against the counter. "What, um..?"

"Well, after my freak out yesterday, I did some thinking," she said. "… Sorry about yelling at you."

"Oh, it's okay…."

"And calling you white trash."

"Hey, it wouldn't be the first time I'd been called that."

"And plus, Mom sort of verbally assaulted me after dinner," Ash said. "God, she's so nosy, you owe her a lot since I was perfectly content to just walk away from you."

"…. What did she say?" Hyde asked.

"Eh, not much really," Ash said. "But it was more of what the meanings were behind it. I mean, she was completely defending you and wants me to let you into my life."

"….. Wow."

"Yeah, wow. So I thought about every aspect of yours and Mom's relationship. Everything from your lame first date to your summer fling to when you cheated on her to when you married a stripper over her, all the way to that one last time, which led to me," she said, gesturing to herself.

"…. I'm not proud of a lot of things that happened between your mother and myself," he said.

"Well I'd certainly hope not," she stated. "While she told me all these horrible, HORRIBLE things you did, I kept thinking: why did she keep going back to him? Why did she fall for his lines every time? And why, despite everything he did, is she still speaking so fondly of him? What does that say about my mother?" Hyde didn't know what to say to these hypotheticals.

"But I kept thinking," she continued. "And I realized something yesterday. I can't make snap judgments about complicated people. My Mom has her faults, but she's overall able to see the good in people. If she knows that a person is deep down great, she'll stick by them no matter what they do. So I guess I spun it. Instead of asking what it said about her, I began to wonder what her loyalty said about you."

Hyde smiled slowly at his daughter. She smiled back, and yep, she had his natural sly smile.

"So I guess what I mean is… She was able to forgive you. And you never even did anything to me, so I should forgive you too. So I forgive you. And I want to get to know you," she said. He smiled, and had no idea he could feel this much relief at one moment.

"Okay," he said.

"And because of this, I need to know what to call you."

"…. Wait, huh?"

"Well, calling you 'Dad' is a little weird still," she said. "At least for me. So what do I call you?" He snorted, and put a finger to his lips in thought.

"You can call me Hyde," he suggested. "Or, Steven… Or Steve…. I take those back, call me Hyde."

"Hyde."

"Yeah, cuz Steve sounds stupid, and Steven, well-."

"Is what Mom calls you," Ash finished.

"… I guess." He hadn't thought of it that way before. He certainly didn't let anyone besides the Foremans call him Steven after Jackie left. Especially his many flings.

"Well, okay, Hyde," she said. "The first step in the transition from Hyde to Dad is this: want to come over for dinner tonight?"

"Oh," he said. "Well… Sure! That sounds good."

"Sweet. We'll expect you at seven thirty," she said. "…. Do you ever take your sunglasses off?"

"Yeah. When I sleep… And shower."

"Okay. Seven thirty," she said, putting up her red hood. "See ya then." With that, she left the store, got on her bike, and biked off. As soon as she was gone, the normally stoic Hyde had a lapse in his stoicism and pumped his fist in the air a couple times. Mental note, he thought. You owe Jackie BIG TIME.

* * *

"Are you crazy!" Jackie exclaimed. "Dinner tonight? At seven thirty? That's…" She looked at her watch. "An hour and a half from now! And I don't cook that fast!" 

"Mom, you cook plenty fast!" Ash exclaimed back. "You cook fine under pressure! Better than fine, even!"

"Ugh, Ash, why couldn't you have invited him over for tomorrow night?" Jackie asked, and Ash eyed her.

"Oh my God," Ash stated.

"What?" Jackie asked.

"Are you seriously freaking out that Hyde is coming over tonight?" Ash asked. "I mean, seriously? You track him down yesterday and go to his place, but you are scared when you have the home field advantage?" Jackie huffed, and crossed her arms.

"No, I just don't know if we have any food," she claimed, and Ash decided to play along.

"Well, we have hamburger," Ash suggested. "And it's nice outside now that the rain has stopped. You could grill…"

"…. I could grill," Jackie said. "And I do make good hamburgers, don't I? But we'll need a vegetable to go with it."

"You could roast corn," Ash said. "That's really summer-y."

"You're right!" Jackie exclaimed. "And Steven likes corn! I'll make corn!"

"Hooray for corn!" Ash exclaimed, displaying that personality trait of her mother that everyone found endearing: giddiness. Jackie rushed to the fridge. "We can soak the corn first, and then-."

"….. We have no corn," Jackie said, and Ash snorted. "…. Do I have time to run to the store?"

"…No."

"The side dish is ruined!" Jackie exclaimed.

"My GOD you're such a drama queen sometimes!" Ash exclaimed. "I'll throw other veggies on the grill."

"… Okay, it's been salvaged."

"It was never ruined," Ash stated. "So if you are done freaking out, we can begin!"

"I'm not freaking out," Jackie insisted. "And I'm done not freaking out. Let's begin."


	7. Under the Bridge: Red Hot Chili Peppers

A/N: The reviews have been so great, and I'm glad that so many people like this story, and Ash. I hope that I can continue to live up to your expectations!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW nor rock references I make. Nor 'Alien'.

* * *

At 7:30 Hyde walked up the porch steps, and gathered his strength. He knocked on the door, and removed his sunglasses. He'd scoured his fridge for some form of food that would pass as a dessert, and found nothing. So he went with the jello instant pudding that was in the pantry. He wasn't completely satisfied with it, but he figured that he made an effort and that said a lot. 

The door opened, and instead of Ash it was Jackie, in a red blouse and black skirt. Except for maybe looking more mature, she had barely changed. Hyde hadn't noticed it until now. Jackie Burkhart had aged quite well, feelings he had kept under lock and key for a long time were not just a drunken after effect. She sort of smiled at him, and he nodded.

"Hello, Steven," she said. "Come on in." He walked in, and couldn't look at her, in case he let his guard down. So instead of focusing on his ex he simply said

"I brought pudding." He handed her the bowl, and she accepted it.

"Oh. Thanks," she said, and smiled genuinely. "Heh. Pudding. Like pudding pop?"

"What?" he asked, stammering a little bit. "No! Not like-."

"It was a joke, Steven," she said, and rolled her eyes a little bit. "Come on out to the deck, we're grilling burgers and veggies."

"You grill?" he asked, following her.

"I do a lot of things I didn't do back in Wisconsin," she said. "I even clean my own house!"

"Now THAT'S insanity," he said, and walked out to the deck with Jackie. "Where's Ash?"

"She was getting ready last I checked," Jackie said. "She's been getting ready for about an hour."

"Well she gets that from you, doesn't she?" he asked. "You used to take so long just to go to the movies, who knows what would happen if you were having dinner with your estranged father?"

"I would probably take a day," Jackie stated. "So I'm curious. I know she yelled at you but I never asked what she said. I hate to think what it was, when she bottles things up they just kind of leap out of her unbridled…"

"She called me 'white trash' and told me to 'get fucked'."

"Oh my GOD, ASH," Jackie said to herself, and Hyde chuckled a little bit.

"It wasn't really an unfair assessment; I did hook up with a stripper and expected commitment."

Claudius the orange cat trotted onto the deck, and Jackie tossed him some burger. Hyde bent down to pet him, and then stood up slowly.

"Does your cat only have one eye?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, Claudius is a rescue cat," Jackie said. "Ash got him a couple years ago at the humane society. He had been neglected by his first owner and lost his eye to a neighborhood dog. But he's ours now and Ash just adores him. I kind of like the little weirdo too." Claudius jumped up on the table, and Jackie nudged him off.

"Though not when he gets cheeky. Ash, your cat is on the table again!" she called.

Ash bounded through the deck door, smiling a little bit.

"Hey," she said, picking up Claudius and putting him back in the house.

"Hey," Hyde stated. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," she said.

"Well that's great," Hyde said. "… I brought pudding."

"Vanilla?" Ash asked.

"Yeah."

"SWEET!" she exclaimed.

They all sat around the dinner table, not really saying much. Jackie and Hyde didn't really know why Ash thought this was such a good idea, but she seemed fairly content while she ate her burger. At least her opinion of him in her life had done a complete 180.

"So wasn't yesterday your last day of your workshop?" Hyde asked.

"It was," Ash stated. "We had to read our stories to the class."

"Did the class like your story?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah," Ash stated. "It got laughter and tears. Well, not tears, but laughter."

"What was it about?" Hyde asked.

"Vampires."

"….. Vampires?" Jackie asked.

"Yep," Ash said, taking the last bite of burger. "Vampires. Some zombies too."

"What did the zombies and vampires do?" Hyde asked.

"The vampires fight the zombies in a battle to the death. And the vampires win. AND a couple of them fall in love."

"Why are vampires fighting zombies?" Hyde asked. "Aren't they on the same side in the battle of good and evil?"

"Not always," Ash said. And left it at that. Hyde and Jackie exchanged glances, and he smirked a little bit.

"So are you into the whole zombie movie genre then?" he asked, and Ash nodded.

"Yeah, where do you think I get my nickname from?" she asked. Jackie began to rub her temples, as if she'd heard this story many times and didn't necessarily like how it went.

"… No," Hyde said, and chuckled. "Not 'The Evil Dead'." Ash nodded, and he turned to Jackie. "Was this your doing?" Jackie looked at him, jaw clenched.

"NO," she stated, and Ash giggled. "This was Uncle Paul's doing. I tried so hard to get her to respond to Ashleigh as a toddler, but Ash was what he called her and she just LOVED it. So I had to call her it too."

"Paul took me to 'Army of Darkness' too," Ash said.

"Yes, yes he did," Jackie stated. "Okay, that's enough about names and why we call each other what we do."

"She hates the origins of my nickname," Ash pretended to whisper, and Jackie rolled her eyes and pointed a pepper ridden fork at her daughter.

"You're just lucky I didn't name you what I wanted to name you," Jackie said.

"Mom, don't," Ash protested.

"What's that?" Hyde asked.

"Mom, come on, you don't have to-," Ash began, but Jackie knew she had the daughter right where she wanted her.

"I wanted to name her Beryl," Jackie said, and Ash rolled her eyes intensely. When she did so, her resemblance to Jackie was almost scary. "But Paul said that she'd never live it down at school."

"And I WOULDN'T have," Ash stated.

"Beryl, what is the origin of it?" Hyde asked, as Ash seethed that they were still on the subject.

"It's English, it's a kind of precious stone," Jackie said, smirking at her daughter. "She apparently hates it, but I think if she had it as a name she'd like it."

"…. I think you should thank Paul for helping you dodge that bullet," Hyde said to Ash, and she nodded. Jackie sighed, and began clearing plates.

"How about I get out that pudding Steven brought?" she asked.

"I do like pudding!" Ash said, coolly. "I'll get it, Mom." She took the plates from Jackie, and strolled into the kitchen with them. Jackie turned to Hyde, who was just watching with amused eyes. She sort of threw her arms out, defeated, and sat back down at the table.

"I can't tell if she sees me as her Dad or just another dinner guest," Hyde said, and Jackie smiled a little.

"She's just guarding herself," Jackie said. "But you can see how she's trying to hold back her expectations. So what do you think?"

"…. I rarely say this kind of thing and you can't repeat it, but I adore her." Jackie smiled. "You did good."

"Hey hey hey, WE did good," she said. "And the Hodges helped too."

"I didn't do anything."

"Well clearly you did SOMETHING," she said, and Hyde smirked again.

Ash trotted out with the pudding and bowls. She set bowls in front of her parents, and began to serve the pudding. She was then distracted by the doorbell.

"I'll get it!" she exclaimed, and rushed for the front door.

"Who the heck could that be?" Jackie asked herself.

Ash opened the door, and Paul was there.

"Paul, hi," she said, looking over her shoulder. "Um, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood, and I told your Mother I would drop off that book I borrowed," he said, looking over her shoulder as well.

"In the neighborhood my ass, you live in Saint Paul!"

"It's only across the river you know!"

"Fess up Paul, how did you know Hyde was stopping by tonight?" Ash asked, suspiciously.

"Well your mother called asking for a recipe for burgers on the grill, and she told me why," Paul admitted. "So can I come in and meet the guy who ditched your Mom?"

"OHkay, I think you need to just give me the book, turn around, and come back tomorrow," Ash said.

"If I promise to be cordial can I come in?" he asked. She crossed her arms, and looked at her surrogate uncle skeptically.

"I am holding you to that," Ash said, poking him in the chest. "It's my decision if Hyde's in my life and you have to respect it."

"Fair enough," he said, and she opened the door for him.

"Mom! Paul is here, returning a book!" Ash said, making a face at him.

"My ass he's returning a book," Jackie muttered, and stood to greet him. "Hi, Paul."

"Hello, Jackie," he said, kissing her cheek. Hyde stood, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "So this must be Steven. I'm Paul." They shook hands, and Ash looked at her mother, who looked steamed that Paul had dropped in.

"Hey, you can call me Hyde," Hyde said.

"Okay, Hyde," Paul said. "Well Jackie, here's your book."

"Yeah, thanks," she said, snatching it from him. "Paul, I would normally ask you to stay, but it's kind of a private dinner, so if you don't mind-."

"Well he can stay for pudding," Hyde said, trying to be polite to the man who acted as Jackie's big brother figure. "If you want to." Get in his good graces. Jackie and Ash both shot him a look, and he realized that he had TWO of those looks to contend with now.

"Sure!" Paul said, and smiled that charming smile of his. Gotta get this right, Hyde thought. He looks like Agent Cooper on Twin Peaks, who knows what he could do?

* * *

Paul and Hyde seemed to get along pretty well. Ash and Jackie didn't interject much in the conversation, they just sat and seethed to themselves that Paul was being the overprotective friend he always had been.

"So Jackie," Paul said, telling one of his favorite funny stories about her as they sat in the living room, "says 'what happened to the cake?' And I say 'I don't know, Jackie, what did you do with it?'. And then we go into the kitchen and my parents old dog Spartacus has eaten the entire thing. So Jackie flips out and chases this GIANT Irish wolfhound around the yard as the eight year old birthday girl and I just watch her. It looked absolutely hilarious!"

"God, it must have been HUGE compared to her!" Hyde exclaimed, laughing at the image in his head.

"It totally was, and when she jumped on him he just kept running," Paul said, and Jackie stood up, sick of this story about Ash's eight year old birthday party.

"Paul, it's getting late," she said. Paul looked at his watch.

"It's eight thirty," he said.

"Well then be useful and help me clean up the kitchen," Jackie said, wanting Ash and Hyde to have a little time to themselves. For some reason, she was really aching for Ash to get to know her Dad. Paul caught the look on her face, and stood up.

"Fine, I invited myself in, I may as well help you clean up, right?" he asked.

"Now you're catching on," Jackie said. So he stood and followed Jackie, leaving father and daughter alone. An awkward silence fell over the room. Ash decided to clear her throat, and uncrossed her arms.

"So how was dinner?" she asked.

"It was good," he said, nodding. "…. And the pudding?"

"I love pudding."

"Well good….."

"…… This is dumb. We were able to carry on a conversation before I knew you were my Dad, and now we can't talk about anything but pudding?" she asked. "Stupid."

"Well it's a really weird situation," he said.

"… We could watch TV," she said.

"Sure." So she turned it on, and began flipping.

"Hold it there!" he said, and she stopped. "Hey man, have you ever seen this?"

"What, 'Alien'? Are you serious?" she asked. "I mean, who hasn't seen it? It's just a classic."

"Well can we watch this?" he asked.

"Uh, YES," she said. "This movie is terrifying! Who wouldn't want to watch it?"

"You mean besides-?"

"Mom," she finished. "She doesn't like movies like this, my love for them is all Paul's doing. And Sam's doing."

"… Sam?" he asked.

"My friend Sam across the street," she said, hugging her knees to her chest. "Not… You know…. HER."

"Yeah, I didn't think so," he stated. "Well cool, let's watch it then."

Jackie and Paul were cleaning dishes in the kitchen.

"So that's the guy," Paul said.

"Yeah, that's him," Jackie stated. "Now let me make it perfectly clear, Paul. When we are done with these dishes you are going to say that you have to leave because you have a busy day tomorrow, okay? I can't believe you just dropped in like that!"

"Hey, I was worried about you two," he said. "Can you really blame me?"

"Ugh, you are such a big brother!"

"Isn't that kind of the point?" he asked. She tossed him a sponge, and he smirked at her. "Well, as long as Ash and he can build a relationship, what's the harm? He does seem like a decent guy, after all."

"Yep…." She continued drying the wine glasses, and he cocked his eyebrows at her.

"Jacqueline," he said, firmly. "What are you thinking right now?"

"Huh?" she asked, and set the towel down. "Psh. Nothing. Just how I'm glad they're getting along. You've been a great uncle to Ash but she seems to like having her father in her life after fifteen years. I mean, yesterday she was calling him names, and-"

"And what about you?" he asked. "What are you thinking now that Steven Hyde is back in yours?" She shook her head, and didn't know how to answer him. So she went with

"It's fine." He nodded, and scrubbed the other plates. "I mean yes, a week ago there was barely a glimmer of thought of him in my mind and now he's going to be here as much as Ash wants him to be, so it's weird. But I'm fine with it."

"Okay," he said, and they continued with the dishes.

"But I do have to say that he's grown up a lot," she said. "He certainly isn't twenty one anymore."

"And you aren't twenty."

"Obviously," she said.

"Hey, you've aged gracefully, you've barely changed," Paul said.

"Thanks…. He just…. It's a 'wow' thing, you know?" she asked.

"Oh great, are you going to fall back into this old habit again?" Paul asked. "If I remember correctly you did that a lot when you were young."

"How would you know?"

"You've told me!"

"…. Well this isn't about me! It's about them!" she snapped. "Okay, we're done with the dishes, I'll walk you out."

"Well now you're mad at me!"

"I'm not mad at you."

"Sure you are," he said, kind of sulking. She smiled a little to herself, and rubbed his back. Even though they were basically siblings, he couldn't stand it when she was mad at him.

"I'll walk you out," she repeated.

They walked into the living room and saw Ash and Hyde sitting sort of next to each other on the couch while watching 'Alien'.

"See? SEE!?" Ash exclaimed. "Why on EARTH would you split up in a situation like that?! I mean, sure, it was little, but they know nothing of growth rates or anything! Why would you assume that it's going to stay that little that long?!"

"Well what could it possibly eat to get big?" he asked.

"Uh, it TOTALLY ate the inside of John Hurt!" Ash stated. "Ugh, it's NASTY."

"My question is why on Earth they didn't just squish it when it jumped out of his chest cavity…" Hyde said, ponderously.

"Because they're wusses," Ash said. "Hell, I would have smacked it with my spoon."

"Ash, Paul is leaving," Jackie said. Ash turned, and waved at him over the couch. He walked to her, and planted a quick kiss on her head.

"Have a good night, Ash," he said.

"You too, Paul," she said, and he nodded at Hyde.

"Nice to meet you," he said.

"You too." With that, Paul and Jackie left the house so she could walk him to his car.

"Do you like slasher movies?" she asked.

"Like which ones?"

"Liiiike….. 'Friday the 13th' and 'Nightmare on Elm Street'. And 'Halloween', though that's not really horror until the bastards decided to make a franchise of it…"

"Yeah, they're good I suppose," he said.

"You know, is it bad that I felt more fear about the cat getting eaten than Harry Dean Stanton?" she asked.

"No, everyone on the ship but Ripley are idiots."

"But he's just an engineer! It's not his fault the rest of the crew is stupid!"

Jackie walked back into the house, and watched them watch their movie. She leaned against the doorframe, and smiled.

"Mom, we know you're there," Ash said, not turning.

"I'm just going to finish cleaning up," she said, caught.

"Why don't you just watch the rest of the movie with us?" Ash asked.

"…. I don't know…"

"It's edited for TV, Jackie, you won't see anything too awful," Hyde said. She sighed, and sat on the other side of Ash. Hrm, family movie, she thought, and scolded herself for jumping to such crazy conclusions.

"WHOA!!!!!" Hyde and Ash both yelled as the Alien grabbed Tom Skerrit. Jackie stood up and left the room quickly. Despite the editing it was still too intense.

* * *

After the movie was done, Ash decided to call it a night.

"So I think I'm going to go to bed," she said. Hyde nodded.

"Okay," he said.

"But we should do something again soon," she said.

"Yeah." So they stood, and didn't really know how to say their goodbyes. He wanted to hug her, but it would seem weird for both of them. So they stood in the den, and wished that the other would do something.

"Well, goodnight," Ash said, and shook his hand earnestly. He nodded, shaking it back.

"I should say goodnight to your Mom…" he said, and Ash nodded.

"Mom!" Ash called. "Hyde's leaving!"

"Is the movie over?" the voice called from the upstairs.

"Yes!" With that the footsteps commenced, and Jackie rushed down the steps, faster than she had anticipated.

"I'll walk you out," she said. Hyde nodded, and waved quickly at Ash, who waved back. He followed Jackie outside, and they carried on in tense silence as she walked him to his car. Once they got to it, they stopped. Ash peeked out the window through the curtain, curious at the interaction between the two.

"Well, thanks for dinner," Hyde said. "You have a nice house, and you've learned how to cook." She wrinkled her nose and hit him on the shoulder.

"I could always cook, you creep," she said. "I just honed my skills over the years."

"Jackie, you couldn't even make ramen noodles when we knew each other."

"…. I guess not…. Well, thanks for coming. I hope we'll be seeing more of you."

"Yeah, I'll be around," he said. Now it was THEIR turn for the awkward goodbye. "Well, thanks again."

"Of course," she said, and sort of went to put her arms around him, which he took for a friendly peck on the cheek… Which he missed as she turned her head for a hug and went straight for her chin instead. She laughed awkwardly, and he snorted.

"That was meant for the cheek," he said, embarrassed.

"It's okay."

"So much for making this less… odd," he said, and she nodded.

"Yeah…Well, night," she said, and turned to walk back to the house. He stared after his petite ex, and got into his car. You IDIOT, he thought.

Jackie walked into the house, and Ash was sitting on the steps.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Jackie asked. Ash nodded. "Good. So did I."

"So when can we invite him over again?" Ash asked.

"You're eager. Yesterday you didn't even think you wanted to get to know him much less invite him over again."

"Well how about next weekend?" Ash asked, ignoring that last comment. Jackie nodded and climbed the stairs. "Only that time we can go out somewhere or something."

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?" Jackie asked, and Ash followed her.

"Well yeah!" Ash said. "So what about the Zoo or something?"

"You can ask but last I heard your Dad wasn't really a zoo person."

"Well maybe a picnic?"

"He isn't a picnic person either…"

"Well what is he into?"

"I don't know…. It's been sixteen years…"

* * *

While Ash was sleeping quite contently that night, Jackie was tossing and turning. It was so hard to see him again, even if it had been very nice at the same time. He'd hurt her so badly, and she'd never had to stop and think about those emotions. Now memories were assaulting her and not letting her sleep. She held her pillow over her face, and wished that her train of thought would just stop.

_After she had held Ash for the first time, everything changed. The thought of being pregnant was just a concept to her, it wasn't real even when she was at the doctors appointments, or when Ash was kicking her. Even when she was in labor it wasn't real, she wasn't going to be a MOM. But once she held her, she knew that she was indeed a Mother, and this squirming thing in her arms was her daughter. She'd been holding her for two hours, just staring at her._

_Paul knocked on the door, and walked in the room._

_"Hey," he said, sitting next to her and the baby. "So this is her, huh?"_

_"Yeah, this is her," Jackie said, still staring._

_"Well isn't she just beautiful?"  
_

_"She's perfect."_

_"Does she have a name yet?" Paul asked. She nodded. "Well let me hear it."_

_"….. Ashleigh."_

_"Thank GOD you didn't go with Beryl." She chuckled, and he smiled down at his 'niece'. "Huh. She has really pale blue eyes, doesn't she? I mean she's a baby, so they may change, but right now they're like ice." Jackie nodded, slowly. These eyes weren't going to change. And that was when the next realization made it's debut. Ashleigh would never know her father, and the man she was still hung up on would never know he had a little girl. As her baby looked up at her, curiously, Jackie began to weep. Paul looked at Jackie, and then wrapped his arms around her. She cried on his shoulder, clutching Ashleigh to her chest too. _

She sat up, and ran a hand through her hair. She rubbed her eyes, and looked out the window. Part of her wished that the kiss on her chin had been on her lips.

"Dammit Jackie," she muttered. "You're supposed to be over him, remember?"

* * *

Hyde was having trouble sleeping too. He was thinking about the life he could have had with Jackie and Ash had he not been such a jerk. He could have been in Ash's life and helped raise her, and maybe his life wouldn't have felt so empty had Jackie and Ash been there. He was tossing and turning when the phone rang. He looked at the clock, and muttered a few swear words to himself. He grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"STEVEN HYDE!"

"….. Kitty?" he asked, but it couldn't be. It was almost one in the morning. Kitty was rarely up past ten.

"Yes it is Kitty, and I just want to know where you get OFF!" Kitty snapped. It began to fall into place. Hyde had told Eric. And Eric had probably told his mother, who had been resisting the urge to chew him out until it nagged at her too much. Which of course HAD to be at nearly one in the morning. "You have a daughter with Jackie Burkhart?!"

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Well I'm calling her next, but right now you are explaining some things to me!"

"Hey, don't call Jackie, it's almost one in the morning."

"Oh I'm well aware of what time it is, and-Hey! Red! Let go! I-!"

"Steven, this is Red," Red Foreman said gruffly. "How could you get that poor Burkhart girl in trouble and just let her leave?"

"Hey, hang on Red, I didn't know she was-."

"Shut your trap," Red commanded. "Here is what is going to happen. Next weekend, Kitty, Eric, Donna and the Grandkids and I are going to drive out there to meet this girl."

"She's our other grandbaby!" Kitty yelled.

"So now that this is decided, I am going to go to bed, and we will make more decisions this week. Okay?"

"….. Okay," Hyde said, defeated. "Sure. Now, I'm going to go to bed, I'll call Jackie tomorrow-."

"I can assure you that Kitty is going to call her after we've hung up here."

"Look, let Jackie and Ash sleep."

"Ash? What kind of name is that?"

"Goodnight, Red." Hyde hung up, and rubbed his eyes. Great, he thought.

Across town, the phone at the Burkhart household rang. Ash slept through it, but Jackie hadn't fallen asleep yet and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jackie Burkhart, how could you leave without saying goodbye?!" the hysterical voice exclaimed.

"….. Kitty?"


	8. Seventeen Again : Annie Lennox

A/N: This chapter is shorter than the last couple. It's more fluffy, I think.

Disclaimer: I own nothing from 70S SHOW nor any music references I may make.

* * *

The next day, Jackie was setting out breakfast stuffs when Ash clomped down the stairs, rubbing her eyes. 

"There are pancakes on the counter," Jackie said.

"Mmmph," Ash said in affirmation, and grabbed a plate and began to stack up the cakes. "Ooh, are these Swedish style?"

"They are!" Jackie said, smiling. "Thanks for noticing." Ash began to pour syrup on the pancakes, when there was a knocking on the back deck glass door. They turned, and saw Sam there, waving.

"Samuel's here," Jackie said, and Ash motioned for him to come in. "How does he know when I'm making pancakes?"

"It's a gift," Ash said, and Sam tried to open the door, but walked into it, as it was locked. Ash burst out laughing, and got up to unlock it. She let him in.

"It's not funny," he said. "Hello, Ash. Hello Ms. Burkhart, I just wanted to… Oh! Are you having pancakes?"

"Help yourself, Samuel," Jackie said, and Ash handed him a plate from the cupboard.

"Now since I know you aren't here just for pancakes, what can we help you with?" Ash asked.

"I saw a guy leave your house last night," Sam said, sitting at the table with a stack of pancakes. "Was it who I think it was?"

"Well that would depend on who you thought it was," Ash stated. "Now, if you think it was Tom Savini, no Sam. It was not Tom Savini. If you think it was Marlon Brando, no Sam. It was not Marlon Brando. If you think it was the almighty Bruce Campbell, no Sam. It was not-."

"I thought it was your Dad!" Sam snapped.

"Well then, yes Sam. It was my dad," Ash continued, smiling at him.

"That's insane!" Sam said, eating his first big bite of pancakes. "I saw him and you talking, Ms Burkhart."

"What are you, a peeping tom?" Jackie asked.

"No," Sam said, sheepishly and mouth filled with pancakes. "…. Thanks for the pancakes, Ms Burkhart."

"Any time, Samuel."

"So okay, he's in your life?" Sam asked.

"Yep," Ash said.

"….. Okay, well Maddie and I have to meet him," Sam said. "So here's what you're going to do."

"And what is that?"

"You're going to call him up, tell him that he's taking the lot of us to Minnehaha Falls. Today," Sam said.

"Excuse me?" Ash asked.

"Does he have a say in this?" Jackie asked.

"None," Sam said.

"Ooh, Samuel, I knew I liked you, you're just a pushy as I am," Jackie said.

"He can be worse, Mom," Ash said, and Sam smiled and ate more pancakes. "So what, seriously today?"

"Yeah, today," Sam said. "So go on, call your Dad." Ash and Jackie exchanged glances. "You better call him because I already called Maddie."

"What is it with you two?!" Ash exclaimed. "It's a freakin' double team on me! And she better not have driven again!"

"She doesn't have a license," Jackie said. Ash stood up, and walked to the phone. "Oh do you really think Steven will go for this?"

"I hope so, cuz if not Sam and Maddie won't let me hear the end of it," Ash stated.

"No we will not," Sam stated, and finished his pancakes.

* * *

Hyde didn't have anything else to do that Sunday, as he never worked Sundays, so he was up to the idea of going out on a nature walk with Ash, Jackie, and Ash's friends. And besides, he hadn't been on Minnehaha falls yet, and it was a pride and joy of Minneapolis residents. He pulled his car into the lot, and saw Jackie and Ash get out of Jackie's car with two other teenagers. So those were Ash's friends. 

"Hey Hyde!" Ash called, waving at him. "Okay, the only reason we dragged you out here is because THESE two are dying to meet you. This is Sam and Maddie."

"Hi," he said. "Hey, Jackie." She smiled at him, and waved shyly.

"Hello, Steven," she said. Ash looked from her to him, and smiled a little bit. "So what, do we just picnic and walk down the path to the falls?"

"Okay," Ash said.

"I brought a Frisbee," Maddie said, pulling it out of her large bag. "Wanna play?"

"You really have to ask?" Sam asked. The teenagers walked to a clearing, and Hyde and Jackie walked behind them.

"Sam and Maddie, huh?" he asked, and Jackie nodded. "What are they like?"

"Samuel is cynical and sarcastic, and Maddie is pretty flighty but very sweet."

"Ash attracts all kinds," Hyde said.

"Yeah, she does," Jackie stated. "Well there's a bench right there, we can just watch the kids play Frisbee."

"….. Actually, want to go find the falls?" he asked. "I haven't seen them before."

"…. Okay," Jackie said. "Ash, we're going to go find the waterfall, we'll be back in a bit to have lunch with you three."

"Okay!" Ash called, and the Frisbee hit her in the face. "SHIT!!! MADDIE!"

"Sorry, Ash!" Maddie called.

"Ash, are you okay?" Jackie asked, rushing to her, Hyde close behind. Ash held a hand to her face, and nodded.

"I'm good, I'm good," she said. "Go ahead, go find the falls." Jackie made her take her hand away from her face, and examined the welt. "God, Mom! I'm fine! You're embarrassing me! Go find the falls with Hyde!"

"Okay okay okay," Jackie said. "Come on, Steven." He nodded, and gave Ash a tentative thumbs up, and she responded with one in return. Once they were out of hearing range, she turned to Maddie.

"Jeeze, you fail at life!" she said.

"Hey! I do not!" Maddie snapped. "If I recall correctly, you're still a virgin, so I beat you at that."

"Now THERE'S an accomplishment. You've had sweaty fumbling sex in the back seat of a taken guys car and I haven't," Ash said, sitting on a picnic table.

"Hey, his girlfriend told him that she didn't care if he got with me," Maddie said, sitting next to her.

"You never heard it from the horse's mouth though," Ash said, and Sam picked up the Frisbee.

"I think that was the shortest Frisbee game in the history of the world," he complained, and sat down too. "I thought you had a boyfriend, Ash."

"I don't have a boyfriend, and even if I did-," Ash started, and Maddie held up her hands.

"Is it that Adrian guy?" Maddie asked. "You haven't complained about him in awhile. Are you dating him?"

"You guys are way too nosey," Ash muttered.

"I didn't hear a no in there," she said.

"NO," Ash said, and began digging through the cooler for ice. "My God, why are you so interested in my sex life?"

"Because I'm curious," Maddie said.

"Because mine is non existent," Sam stated, sadly.

* * *

Jackie and Hyde walked down the stone steps in silence. The birds in the trees chirped, and Jackie took in a long breath. 

"I haven't been here since Ash was a toddler," she said. "I forgot how pretty it is."

"Yeah, it's nice," Hyde said. They stood on the bridge, and looked at the falls. "Wow. That's nice."

"Yeah, it's really nice," she said, and sat on the stone wall. He sat next to her, and sighed. She looked at him, and grinned a little bit.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "It's just weird, you know? Sitting next to each other in comfortable silence."

"Yep," he said. "Very weird…. How's it been?"

"How's what been?" she asked.

"Raising her," he clarified. "How has it been?" Jackie smiled a little bit, and ran a hand through her hair.

"It's been hard," she said. "But wonderful. She's been amazing, even since she was a baby she's just been amazing. I mean, yes, she's a pain in the ass at times, and she loves to pick fights with me over the stupidest things, but it's been such a great sixteen years."

"…. I kind of wish I'd been there to see it," he said.

"I know," she said. "…. Hey, want to walk under the falls?"

"We can do that?"

"God, don't be stupid, of course we can," she stated, and began to walk towards the rocks. He smiled to himself, and followed her. "I'm not really wearing the right shoes for this…"

"Do you ever?" he asked, and she flipped him off as they stepped on the rocks. They walked behind the waterfall, and they looked through the water. "I bet in the winter this is pretty cool."

"I never thought of that," Jackie said. "I bet it is too…. So Steven, how have you been these past sixteen years? Hell, how has everyone been?" Hyde shrugged.

"Same old same old," he said. "Just been working at Grooves, seeing the Foremans. Kelso and Brooke got married in 1983, and have three more kids."

"Wow. Busy."

"No kidding. Eric and Donna got married in 1984 and have their kids, who I guess you are going to meet next weekend."

"I'm so nervous about that."

"The kids?"

"No, seeing Donna," Jackie said. "I just left her a note, she couldn't have been happy with me."

"She wasn't, but she was madder at me, so that worked out for you." She laughed, and shrugged.

"I missed her a lot," Jackie said. "I've learned that I make better friends with guys than girls, oddly enough. Donna was the best girl friend I ever had."

"Yeah…"

"What about Fez?"

"Oh god, Fez. He owns a candy store."

"…… You're kidding."

"Nope."

"Well hooray for him combining passion with work," she said.

"So that's them, at least when I moved that's how it all was."

"How long have you been in town, anyway?" Jackie asked, holding her hand under the steady stream of water. "I mean, you look pretty settled."

"Yeah, I've been here since March," he said. "I just needed a change, you know? So I came here, leased a space, and made my store. And I've really liked it here."

"… And what about girls?" Jackie asked, flicking him with the water on her hands. "Any special ladies in your life?"

"Nope," Hyde said, trying to dodge the water a little. "None. Sure, some dates and one night stands, but no one special." She nodded, and wiped her hand on her pants.

"Me neither," Jackie said. "Well, there was one for a little while, but it didn't work out. Big surprise, right? I mean, me AND a kid. It's a fatal combination in the dating world."

"I'm sure he was a complete jerk," he said.

"…. For awhile he was really great," Jackie said. "But he couldn't handle it. Kids make dating complicated. But screw him. If my date can't handle the fact I have a great kid they're not worth my time. We did fine."

"Yeah, you did," he said. "…. It's really cool seeing you again, Jacks." Jacks. HER nickname. She felt her heart flutter like a terrified hummingbird, and she smiled at him. He smiled back.

"I'm happy to see you too," she stated. And it was true. She felt like a young woman again, who didn't have to grow up so fast.

"Cool," he said. The water fell in front of them, and they stared at each other. As much as they didn't want to let their old feelings get in the way, it was proving difficult on this lovely summers day, underneath a waterfall. Hyde sort of leaned in, and kissed her softly on the lips. Jackie barely responded, but he did feel her kiss back. They stopped, and she kind of smiled at the ground.

"We should go back up there before Ash gets hit with the Frisbee again," she said. "She'd probably kill Maddie that time." Hyde nodded, and watched her walk towards the rocks away from the falls. Well, that was a bust, he thought.

"Sorry," he said, catching up to her. She shook her head.

"Don't be," she stated, and kept walking. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and felt the heat of embarrassment rush into his face. They hiked back up to the park area, where Maddie was sitting on a table with a tissue to her nose.

"Guys!" Jackie exclaimed. "What happened?"

"The Frisbee got it's revenge," Ash said.

"No, YOU got your revenge!" Maddie accused.

"I told you it was an accident!" Ash snapped. "Just keep it elevated."

"You know how when YOU were in highschool you and your girl friends just spread gossip at those you were mad at?" Sam asked Jackie. "Well your daughter takes a more direct approach."

"It was a complete accident and I don't appreciate you insinuating otherwise!" Ash said, slugging him on the shoulder.

"See!?" Sam asked, pointing at her. "Look at this!"

"Okay Ash, knock it off," Jackie said. "Here, let's just have lunch, okay?"

"Did you two find the falls?" Maddie asked, tilting her head back. Hyde and Jackie quickly looked at each other.

"Yeah, we did," Hyde said. "They were pretty cool."

"What kind of sandwiches do we have?" Ash asked, digging through the cooler. "Oooh, turkey!"

"I get the turkey!" Maddie announced.

"There's only one, finders keepers," Ash said.

"You better give it to me," Maddie pouted.

"Why?" Ash asked.

"Because you made me bleed."

"….. Ugh, fine," Ash said, handing her the turkey sandwich.

Hyde was concerned that he had really blown it at the falls. He didn't know what it was that possessed him to kiss her. He'd been denying these feelings since he saw her the night before, hell, since he FIRST saw her, but they were fighting him all the way.

"Steven, do you want roast beef or chicken?" she asked, holding up two sandwiches. He shrugged.

"Whichever one you don't eat, I'll take," he said.

"That would be the roast beef," she said, and handed it to him.

"…. Man, I hate roast beef." She rolled her eyes, and switched with him. She then smiled at him. The smile on her face was an indication that there were no hard feelings, and she may have even wished it could happen again. But he had a lot to make up for, and she needed time. He was willing to accept that. As grudging of an acceptance as it may be. He smirked, and switched the sandwiches back.

"I can handle it," he said.

"…. Good," she said. To the others it was a conversation about roast beef. For them, it went a little deeper.

"Hey, Sam, would you take our picture?" Ash asked, handing him her camera.

"Whose?"

"Me, Mom's, and Hyde's," Ash said.

"Yeah yeah yeah," Sam said. "But if ants get to my sandwich-."

"They won't, you baby," Ash said, sitting between her parents on the grass. "You two better smile."

"Hey, we're smiling!" Jackie exclaimed. They all smiled, though Hyde's was more of a 'I'm too cool for your picture' smirk. Sam took the photo, and handed the camera back to Ash.

"Dammit! The ants are on my sandwich!" he exclaimed.

"Oh for God's sake," Maddie said, brushing the ants off of it. "I complained less when Ash broke my nose."

"It's not broken!" Ash protested.

* * *

After the lunch, they dropped Maddie off and then went back to the house. Sam had gone home right away, leaving Ash and Jackie to wait for Hyde. 

"That was fun," Ash said. Jackie nodded. "So how was your little walk with Hyde?"

"It was fine," Jackie said. "Well you saw the falls after lunch, they're very pretty today."

"I wasn't really talking about the falls," Ash said. But then Hyde's car drove up. Hyde got out of his car, and walked to Ash.

"So, when do you want to come over again?" she asked.

"I don't know…. Tuesday?" he asked.

"Sure," Ash said. "Tuesday works. We can order a pizza, watch a movie…"

"Don't forget the big thing happens Saturday," Jackie said, standing up from the swing.

"God, that's going to be so weird," Hyde said.

"I'm dreading it," Jackie said.

"I'm not exactly sure why I should dread it but I'm bordering on it," Ash said.

"Oh no, they're going to love you," Jackie said. "It's your father and I that are probably going to experience the wrath of the Foremans."

"Mainly me," Hyde said. "Well I'm going to hit the road. But Tuesday, Ash. I'll be here."

"Okay. See ya," Ash said. Hyde waved, and made quick eye contact with Jackie. She smiled at him, and he smiled back. He back in his car, and drove off. Ash looked at her Mom.

"The hell was that?" she asked.

"What?" Jackie asked.

"That little look you two shared."

"There was no look."

"Yes there was."

"Ash, there wasn't," Jackie said, and walked into the house. Ash frowned, and followed. But she saw the smile on Jackie's face. There was SO a look, she thought.


	9. How You Gonna See Me Now? : Alice Cooper

A/N: Thanks for the reviews!! This story is heating up now, as the Foremans come out to play! I just want to say, I picture Jackie's father figure Matt as looking something like Dr. Orpheus from THE VENTURE BROTHERS. I don't know why….

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW nor any rock references I may make.

* * *

After a week of Hyde coming over for dinner every other night, he and Ash had become closer and closer. It was strange to both of them that it came so easily, but the fact was they were very similar. And as for Jackie and Hyde, things were becoming less and less awkward, and they would find more and more things to talk about. The kiss at the falls was still out there, but they weren't going to touch it. 

Now that the Wisconsin clan was coming in town that day, a giant get together had been planned. The Hodges were coming too, and Paul had crashed on the couch so he could help prepare for the party. Hyde was going to come by later to grill with Ash.

Ash, Paul, and Jackie were sitting down for breakfast at the house that Saturday when the phone rang. Jackie stood up, and answered the phone.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey," Hyde said. She smiled widely, and began twisting the cord in her hands.

"Hi Steven," she said, and Ash and Paul exchanged knowing glances.

"She's been doing this more and more," Ash said, and Paul nodded, somewhat concerned about this.

"So I thought I'd bring over a dessert," Hyde said.

"Pudding again?" Jackie asked, teasingly, and she heard him chuckle.

"Nah, I'm going all out this time," he said. "I'm bringing bundt cake."

"Oooooh, how ambitious," Jackie said. "Are you making it?"

"….. Okay so I bought it," he said.

"Psh, not nearly as impressive as what I had in mind."

"Sorry," he said, and she smiled again, and leaned against the fridge. "Okay, I'll come by around three, and the others should show up at four thirty."

"Good," Jackie said. "I'm kind of nervous. It's been so long."

"You think you're nervous? Red has threatened to kick my ass for getting you pregnant all those years ago," Hyde said, and Jackie laughed out loud. "Well…. See you this afternoon."

"Yep. Bye."

"Bye." She hung up, and Paul and Ash burst out laughing.

"Oh WHAT?" she asked, and Ash just drank her orange juice with a smirk on her face. "You two had better stop laughing right now or else you're both disinvited!"

"You can't disinvite me, it's my party!" Ash stated. "No matter how reluctant I am about it!"

"Sorry Jackie, but you just got this gooey look across your face when you began talking to him," Paul said.

"I did not!" Jackie snapped.

"Yeah ya did, Mom," Ash said. " 'Hi, Steven'. And then you did this." She made a sweet and far off face, and sighed heavily.

"It's true, Jackie, you were making that face," Paul said. "The likeness is eerie." Jackie sat back down at the table, and huffed a little bit. Ash played with her fork.

"Can I invite a friend?" she asked.

"Why?" Jackie asked in return.

"Because you told me that the only other kids at this thing are nine and seven," Ash said. "And I could use the teenage support."

"…. Fine," Jackie said. "Shall I assume it will be Samuel?"

"Of course," Ash said. "I'll go call him now." She got up, and rushed from the kitchen. Paul and Jackie were left alone, and Paul gave Jackie a look.

"What?" she asked.

"You're falling again."

"Excuse me?"

"You are falling for Hyde again," Paul said. "Should I be concerned?"

"I am not!" Jackie exclaimed. "I'm just happy that he and his daughter are hitting it off. I never thought this moment would come and it has and I'm so happy."

"….. Jackie, you're acting like a high schooler again."

"You never knew me as a high schooler, how would you know?"

"I can hypothesize what you were like as a high schooler!"

"I know….. I know! And I kind of like it, but at the same time…It's just…. I don't want to be hurt again, Paul," Jackie said. "I had finally got everything together and then….. You know, I am just really stressed about today, that's all."

"I know," he said. "It will go well, I promise." She smiled, and shrugged.

Ash was on the phone and pissed.

"What do you mean you can't come over?" she asked.

"I know I've told you a hundred times that I am going to my sister's dance recital with my family TONIGHT," he said. "I know you've been distracted lately, but DAMN."

"Well who am I supposed to invite?"

"Maddie."

"She's at the cabin this weekend."

"Shelly."

"Still at Concordia Language Camp."

"…. You have no other friends, do you?"

"Hey, I'm selective and introverted!"

"Well I don't know what to tell ya, kiddo," Sam said. "So I hope that you have a good time, and-."

"You suck. Wish Mara luck."

"I will. I'll bring you back a program."

"Thanks, I think. Go get ready."

"Yes ma'am." She hung up, and tapped her hand against the wall. Who could she call?... Somehow, the name Adrian Lawson kept popping up. Ever since he'd comforted her in the hallway that day, she had thought of him differently. He wasn't necessarily the guy who was a jerk to her all the time. He was the guy who she showed her most vulnerable side to, something that few people saw. She went to her backpack, and pulled out the Workshop contact sheet, and found his number. She dialed, and waited.

"Hello?"

"Is Adrian there?"

"This is."

"…… Hi…… It's Ash….. From Workshop."

"….. Hey Leigh!" he said, obviously surprised. "Um…. What's up?"

"….. Wanna come to a barbeque thingy?"

"…….. When?"

"Today. At 4:30."

"……..Sure," he said. "I mean…. Yeah, definitely." She smiled a little bit, and closed her eyes and bit her lip. This reaction was surprising to her, but at the same time not so much. She had always shown her interest in guys through hostility, ever since she stole the toy truck from Joey Lappengaard in kindergarten.

Jackie and Paul were cleaning up when Ash came back in.

"Is Samuel coming?" Jackie asked.

"Nope."

"Maddie?"

"Nuh uh."

"Shelly?" Paul asked.

"No."

"Well who?" Jackie queried. Ash smiled a little bit.

"Adrian Lawson," she said, and skipped from the kitchen. Paul and Jackie looked at each other, and then Jackie sighed.

"That girl…" she said. "At least I'm not acting like that."

"What, tolerable?" Paul asked.

"I am just about to hit you," Jackie said, and Paul leapt up from the chair and was chased from the kitchen.

* * *

Hyde showed up a half hour before the Foremans and the Hodges were going to arrive. He knocked on the door, and Ash opened it. 

"Hey," he said, and she nodded at him and opened the door fully for him. "How's it going?"

"Fine," she said. "Mom is freaking out though."

"Why?"

"Because she hasn't seen these Foreman people since before I was born, wouldn't you be nervous?"

"Nah, I'm cool," he said.

"You know you're meeting my surrogate grandparents today too, right?" she asked. He nodded. He knew it, but it was still a little nerve wracking. "Still cool?"

"Completely," he lied. "Where's your mother, I brought this bundt cake for the… whatever you would call this."

"She's in the backyard setting things up with Paul," Ash said. "….. You'll also get to meet my friend Adrian."

"Oh yeah?" he asked. "You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend."

"I DON'T," she snapped. "He's just a friend of mine from my workshop." She led him to the deck.

"Mom" she said. "Hyde's here!" He had sort of hoped that by this time she'd feel okay with calling him 'Dad', but if she was as cautious as he was in matters like this he'd have longer to wait.

Jackie stood up from the grill and smiled, unaware that she had charcoal smudged on her face. She walked up, and smiled at Hyde.

"Hi, Steven," she said. "How are you? Nervous like me?"

"Nah, not really," he said. Ash bit her lip, trying not to laugh at the dark streak on her Mom's face.

"What are you laughing at, Ash?" Jackie asked, and Hyde took his thumb and rubbed it against her cheek. Her heart leapt into her throat, and he smiled at her, showing her the black gunk. "Oh…. Great. Thanks."

"Any time," he said. Ash looked from one parent to the other, and tried not to smile too hard. While she was guarded when it came to the idea of her Mom and Dad reconnecting, it was something that she had sort of hoped for. She'd never seen her mother so happy when Hyde was around. Be it the looks they gave each other, or the way he made her blush, there was something there that explained why they always went back to each other, despite the grief they caused. Ash hoped that maybe now that they were adults they could stop with the petty squabbles and stupid reasons for hurting each other.

"I'm going to go get a radio," Ash said, and Jackie and Hyde were pulled from their moment, and both smiled at her.

"Good!" she said.

"Great!" he said at the same time. Ash rolled her eyes a little bit, and walked into the house. She went to the den, and unplugged the CD player, and was about to go back outside. When the doorbell rang. She thought perhaps it was Adrian and was happy she'd put on her make up (dark eyeliner and black nail polish) when she had. She opened the door, with her best cute smile on her face.

Instead of Adrian, it was a woman who looked to be in her sixties and her husband who looked the same. He looked like he was a perpetually crabby person, but she had a smile on her face. And when she saw Ash, she smiled even wider.

"Are you Ashleigh?" she asked, and Ash looked from her to him, back to her.

"Yes…"

"Oh my GRANDBABY!" the woman exclaimed, and threw her arms around the teenager, who almost dropped the CD player from the force and surprise.

"Kitty, give her some space!" the man said, and followed her inside. "She's going to have enough to contend with when Eric and Donna and the kids get here."

"Hello?" Ash asked, as Kitty pulled away.

"Oh sweetie, I'm Kitty and this is Red!" Kitty explained. "We were kind of like your father's adoptive parents, but not legally."

"Steven lived in our basement for years," Red said.

"Red, she looks so much like her parents!" Kitty exclaimed, grabbing her by the face and examining her. "Just look at those EYES!"

"Kitty, stop accosting her!" Red said.

"I think I should go get my Mom," Ash stated, and Kitty and Red nodded.

"Yes, go find her, I missed her so much!" Kitty exclaimed, and Red nodded. Ash walked briskly away from Kitty and Red, and stopped on the back deck. Hyde and Jackie were still talking in low tones, and she cleared her throat.

"Mom, Hyde, Kitty and Red are here," Ash said, and Jackie rushed from him and through the door.

Jackie walked into the hallway, and Kitty and Red turned. Kitty ran to her and threw her arms around her.

"JACKIE BURKHART!" she exclaimed. "OH MY GOSH I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!"

"Kitty, Red!" Jackie exclaimed, and hugged them both. She didn't realize how much she'd missed the Foremans until she saw them in her hallway.

"Jackie, how could you just leave without saying goodbye?" Kitty asked. "You robbed me of my first grandbaby!"

"Kitty, let her alone," Red said, and held Jackie's cheek in his hand, one of the most affectionate things he'd ever done for, well, anyone. This reinforced Jackie's theory that she was always his favorite of Eric's friends. She threw her arms around him, smiling. She'd missed this.

"Hey Red, Kitty," Hyde said, walking into the hallway.

"Oh hello Steven!" Kitty said, chipperly.

"YOU!" Red snapped, storming to him. He pointed his finger at Hyde, who knew he was going to get it. "So now, 16 years after getting Jackie in trouble, NOW you're going to take responsibility and own up to your idiocy? It's a little late, don't you think?"

"Hey Red, come on," Hyde stated, holding up his hands. "I didn't even KNOW about Ash until-."

"You are just lucky that she turned out as lovely as she did!" Red snapped, and Ash bit her lip holding back her laughter. She could really dig this guy.

"Well thanks!" Ash said, smirking. "If you guys want to come out back we have a barbeque about to begin, and drinks and deck chairs, and-."

"And you're so polite!" Kitty exclaimed. "Jackie, you did such a good job!"

"Thanks, Kitty," Jackie said, and she and Ash looked at each other with amused glances. "Where are Donna and Eric?"

"They were behind us but probably stopped for lunch. Hungry kids make for longer trips!" Kitty said, as they all walked out to the back yard.

"Boot up your ass," Red growled at Hyde, and followed. Jackie smirked a little. It was a comfort to know that some things remained constant over the years. Hyde scratched his head, and Jackie nudged him a little bit.

"Ooh, you're in TROUBLE," she whispered, and he laughed a little bit.

"Here Ashleigh, help me with the barbeque," Red said, taking over. Ash nodded, and stood next to him. "Now I'm going to give your Mother credit where it's due. She uses charcoal. That's great."

"Yeah, we don't do the whole 'taste the meat not the heat' thing," Ash said. "We want to taste the heat. Otherwise we could just throw it in the broiler."

"Jackie!" Red called. "Your daughter is BRILLIANT!" He clapped her back, and she smiled, despite the thump he'd given her.

"Don't I know it?" Jackie called back. "Kitty, does he treat his other grandkids this way?"

"Well, he's disappointed that Freddie, that's the nine year old, doesn't like sports," Kitty said. "But what did he expect? He takes after his father. And he loves Lily, but doesn't like playing tea party with her over and over again. I think that Ash is the perfect grandchild right now."

"What about Laurie, did she have any kids?" Jackie asked.

"She married a ambulance chaser lawyer but they're divorced now," Kitty said. "We hope that she settles down with this nice chef she's been dating, but you know Laurie." She left it at that.

"Steven, come over here and help us," Red called, and Hyde nodded.

"So how are things between you and Steven?" Kitty asked as she and Jackie set out paper plates and napkins.

"Oh, they're fine," Jackie said. "It's been rocky, but it's getting better."

"So is there still a little 'spark'?" Kitty asked, the everlasting match maker.

"Oh Kitty, I don't-."

"Now I'm not going to push you into anything," Kitty said, holding up her hands. "But you and Steven always shared a very strange and deep bond. And you also share a child, who's just BEAUTIFUL by the way!"

"Thanks."

"So is there any chance of reconciliation, even after all these years?" Kitty asked. Jackie let her mouth open, but then closed it again. She really didn't know.

She didn't have to answer, though, because Donna, Eric, and their kids came around from the front.

"Jackie!" Donna called, and Jackie turned. They both began screaming in glee, and ran to each other. Ash sighed in embarrassment at how her mother was acting.

"Good God," she muttered.

"Strange, isn't it?" Red asked.

"Uh, YEAH," Ash acknowledged.

"Jackie, look at you!" Donna exclaimed, and Jackie nodded happily. "You haven't aged at all!"

"Donna, look at YOU!" Jackie exclaimed, and then Donna hit her shoulder. "Ow! What the-?"

"You think that a note is going to be a good enough goodbye?" Donna asked, and Jackie sighed. "No. No way."

"I know, I'm so sorry, Donna, but-."

"Donna, let it go," Eric said, carrying the seven year old girl. "You're both together now, don't blow it."

"Well hello, Foreman," Jackie said, and kissed his cheek. "And who is this?"

"Jackie, this is Lily," Eric said, "and the little boy peeking behind the fence is Freddie." Jackie waved at him, and he stepped out, reluctantly.

"So where is your daughter?" Donna asked, and Jackie pointed at Ash as she flipped burgers with Red and Hyde. "Wow. I mean, I knew she was fifteen, but she looks so grown up."

"You're just used to small kids, that's all," Jackie said. "Ash is almost an adult."

"She's gorgeous," Donna said. "Darn you and your great genes!"

"Donna, I missed you so much!" Jackie exclaimed, hugging her again. "I was so scared of how you would react when you saw me, and-."

"I'm just happy," Donna said, and Jackie beamed. They were good, and that made Jackie sigh in relief.

"Hey Ash, c'mere!" Jackie called. Ash looked up, and walked over to the deck. "Okay. Ash, this is Donna, my best friend in high school."

"Hey."

"Hello."

"And this is Eric, her husband," Jackie said.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"And these are their kids, Freddie and Lily."

"Hey."

"….." Neither of the kids were comfortable saying hello, so Ash just smiled at them.

"So Ash, how did you react when you found out THAT guy was your Dad?" Eric asked, pointing at Hyde, who was talking with Red.

"Oh, you know," Ash said. "Shock, anger, fear, contentment, I ran the emotional gamut."

"She uses bigger words at fifteen than I used in college," Eric said.

"Well I can tell you that he won't admit it openly, but he's totally thrilled to have met you," Donna said, and Ash smiled.

"… I think I am too," Ash stated.

"Ashleigh!" Red called. "Burgers!"

"I, I think he wants me to help with the food…"

"Don't worry about it, go ahead," Eric said. "He won't leave you alone unless you go help." She nodded, and walked to the grill.

"Holy COW, Jackie," Donna said. "She's-."

"Fantastic? I know," Jackie said. "And don't act so surprised!"

"Honestly, I thought she was going to be a complete clone of you," Eric said. "You know. Short, loud, opinionated."

"She's those things when she wants to be," Jackie said. "Though she'll always be taller than I ever was."

"Yeah, she's no dwarf," Donna said, and Jackie swatted her shoulder.

"I'm not a dwarf! You're just the 50 foot woman!" she exclaimed.

"And Ash is a happy medium between you two," Eric said, and they both glared at him. "What???" Hyde walked over, and greeted Donna and Eric.

"Hey guys," he said.

"So that's your kid," Eric said. "It's good Kelso isn't here, he'd probably comment on how hot she is."

"Lovely, aren't he and Brooke still together?" Jackie asked.

"Has that ever stopped him from looking?" Hyde asked. "I'm expecting him to just drop by one day with Betsy and try to force them to bond."

"How is Betsy?" Jackie asked. "I send her a card every year and have no idea what she's like."

"She's a Kelso," Eric and Donna both said, and Jackie groaned.

"I pity Brooke," she said.

"Brooke has the other three in her corner," Hyde stated. "All girls, by the way."

"That's hilarious!" Jackie exclaimed. "Michael the womanizer had four daughters?"

"And probably another one on the way," Donna said. "Though he's hoping for a boy this time."

"I feel bad for that kid if it IS a boy," Hyde muttered.

Paul walked through the gate with his parents. Jackie rushed over and hugged him and Debbie and Matthew.

"It's quite the party!" Debbie said. "Jackie darling, let me meet all your old friends."

"I will, Debbie, just come on over," she said.

Ash watched her family show up, and sighed. Where was Adrian? Was he going to show up at all? She was anxious, and went over to greet Debbie and Matt.

"Ash sweetie, you look so great today!" Debbie said, and then examined her make up. "Though you have a Wednesday Addams thing going on-."

"It looks lovely, Ash," Matthew said, stopping the critique.

"Thanks Matt," she said, and hugged them both. The introductions continued, and Ash realized she'd left the CD player in the house. She huffed, and trotted inside. She had a mix tape all ready to play at the get together, and couldn't wait to show it off to everyone else. She also thought it would be a good idea to get a lawn game for the little kids. She walked into the house, and there was a knocking on the door. She looked through the window, and smiled. Adrian was out there. She opened the door, and smiled. He smiled too.

"Hey Leigh. So what, are you going for the Lydia Deetz look?" he asked. "Because had I known I would have come as Beetlejuice."

"No," she said, opening the door for him to come in. "And by the way. You're such a jerk."

"Yeah, I know," he said, and she closed the door. "So where's the party?"

"Out back, but I have to go into the basement to find a yard game," she said.

"Why?"

"Little kids."

"Ah." He followed her down the steps, and she turned on the light. It was more of a make shift rec room than a basement. There was a couch, an old TV, and a bookshelf. On the other side of the room there was a door to the laundry and freezer room.

"Nice basement," he said.

"It's where me and my friends hang out when grownups are around," she said, and opened a cabinet. "Do you think that a seven and a nine year old will like wiffle ball?"

"If there's a ball involved I don't doubt it," he said, and she tossed him a wiffle ball and bat. He grinned, and she smiled too.

"So are you ready to meet the people outside?" she asked.

"I don't know."

"Oh don't worry, I don't know half of them," she stated. They walked up the steps, and she grabbed the CD player. They walked onto the porch, and she plugged in the CD player.

"Ash, who is this?" Jackie asked, knowing full well who it was.

"Mom, seriously?" she asked, and Hyde eyed Adrian. "I mean, do I have to do introductions when EVERYONE is looking?"

"Yes," she said. Ash and Adrian were the focus of the group, and she groaned.

"Okay, fine. Everybody, this is Adrian," she said. "Adrian, this is everybody. There. I did it."

"Thank you," Jackie said. "I'm her Mom, that guy right there is her Dad."

"Hey," Adrian said, shaking her hand. He shook Hyde's hand, and Hyde felt the protective vibe rise. Who was this kid, who looked to be probably almost seventeen, and why was he so interested in his daughter?

"So how old are you?" Hyde blurted out.

"Hyde!" Ash exclaimed.

"What?" Hyde asked, "It was a question!"

"Steven," Jackie hissed.

"I'm going to be seventeen in October," Adrian said.

"So you drive, I assume. Any accidents or tickets?"

"Oh for God's sake, Hyde," Ash said, and took Adrian by the hand so he could give the kids the wiffle ball and bats. Jackie swatted Hyde on the shoulder.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, and Donna just laughed at him. "Oh WHAT, Donna?"

"It's cute, that's all," Donna said.

"Hey, I know that I give any first grader who looks at Lily the wrong way the stink eye," Eric said. "And we all know how Red is about Laurie."

"Oh knock it off," Hyde said, though it was probably right on the money. He turned on the tape player Ash had brought out to get the attention off of him and on her mix tape. The first song was 'Brown Sugar' by the Stones.

"Hey, she's got great taste in music at least," he said.

"Steven, your daughter and her little boyfriend are simply precious!" Kitty said, walking to him and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"So Steven," Debbie said, walking over to him, "what do you think of Minneapolis?"

"It's great," Hyde said, as both the women began to close in on him.

"Have you met Jackie's mother?" Kitty asked Debbie.

"Once or twice," Debbie said. "Pamela is… Well, she's interesting."

"Yes… Interesting," Kitty agreed.

"I found her very charming," Matt said, and Debbie rolled her eyes.

"Because you found her very attractive," Debbie said. Matt sort of slinked off, caught.

"Oh so did my husband!" Kitty exclaimed. "She was nice enough, just…"

"A flibbertygibbet?" Debbie offered.

"I was going to say alcoholic flake," Kitty admitted.

"Well she is that too," Debbie agreed. Hyde made his way away from the older women, and Matt clapped him on the shoulder.

"Now just what are you intentions with my daughter?" he asked, and Hyde felt his stomach clench.

"…. Wha-?"

"Just kidding!" Matt exclaimed. "I bet you heard that from Jackie's Dad all the time when you were teenagers."

"Actually, her Dad was in prison when we really started dating," Hyde admitted. "So, thanks! It filled a void my soul had." Matt chuckled, and moseyed on over to the grill to see what Red was up to. Hyde eyed his daughter and Adrian, who were speaking in low tones under the tree house. Jackie stood next to him.

"Stop worrying."

"I'm not worried." She scratched his back a little, and he looked down at her. She smiled, and then walked to see what Donna was doing. Somehow he thought this barbeque was going to be QUITE interesting.


	10. Hungry Like The Wolf : Duran Duran

A/N: Okay, it's been a busy BUSY weekend what with the baby sister graduating from high school. But this is going up tonight, dammit! It's shorter than normal, but it has some SMUT!! So this chapter is rated **M** and **M ALONE**. I just don't want to up the rating of this story for one chapter, so I'll just put a warning here. SMUT. And thanks to Zenkindoflove for looking it over and assuring me it wasn't as bad as I thought it was!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW, nor any rock references I make.

* * *

As the barbeque continued, people had a lot of questions for Ash. Those people mainly being the Foreman clan. And the Hodges had a lot of questions for Hyde. There was no anger or resentment towards him, which was more than could be said for Jackie's actual parents. When she'd told them that he was back in her life her father nearly burst a vein. Even after talking to Ash they weren't completely cool with it, but pretended to be for their granddaughter's sake. The Hodges were much more relaxed about the whole thing. When he had time, Hyde would ask Adrian questions, and Ash would purse her lips and cross her arms, irritated but at the same time excited that Hyde was doing this oh so fatherly thing. 

"So you don't smoke?"

"No sir."

"Hyde…"

"And you don't drink."

"Nope."

"Hyde."

"… What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"Uh…"

"HYDE!" Ash snapped.

"What?" he asked, defensively.

"Hyde, Adrian isn't my boyfriend!" she exclaimed. "Jeeze, you've really fit into this role comfortably, haven't you? Come on, Adrian, let's play wiffle ball with the kids." She stalked off, Adrian following, and Hyde snorted. Jackie walked up behind him.

"You are really giving her a hard time, don't you think?" she asked.

"No," Hyde said, bitterly. He pointed at Kitty and Debbie talking, desperate to change the subject. "Oh dear. What do you suppose they're talking about?"

"They're been doing this all afternoon," Jackie said. "They're trying to one up each other, it's kind of funny if not a little scary."

"The battle of the surrogate grandmothers," Hyde said, and Jackie laughed. "At least Matthew and Red are getting along."

"Two men and a grill, it's the great equalizer," she said. "From the most elitist professor to the most embittered muffler shop owner, grilling can make you on equal levels. And Paul is having a good time talking with Eric and Donna. I would say that this is a success."

"So did you know that Adrian was coming?" he asked.

"Yes, she asked if she could invite a friend, and I said she could," Jackie stated.

"Well if she runs off with him by the end of the day don't blame me," Hyde muttered.

"Oh what are you even talking about?" she asked, and rolled her eyes.

"Clearly, he's a bad boy," Hyde said.

"Are you joking? He's a writer!" Jackie laughed. "YOU were a bad boy, Adrian is a nice you man, from what I can tell, and you should trust our daughter, she's smarter than you give her credit for."

"I never said she wasn't smart," he protested, and she playfully poked him in the chest. "Hey now, be gentle."

"All I'm saying is that Ash and Adrian are just friends and he wouldn't be her first boyfriend," Jackie stated. "Don't worry about it. She's smart when it comes to guys. I've only caught her and a guy once-."  
"OH MY GOD," Hyde exclaimed, horrified at this thought.

"AND it wasn't even a big thing," Jackie said. "They were kissing in the treehouse, not doing anything else."

"Jeeze," he muttered.

"She got a firm talking to and that was that," Jackie said.

"Jackie!" Paul called. "The cooler plug popped open and a majority of the water and ice flowed out!"

"Paul, what did you do?" she asked.

"It wasn't me, it was Eric!"

"Eric, what did YOU do?"

"Nothing!" he exclaimed, guiltily. She sighed, and groaned.

"Well, I am off to the basement to get ice then," she said. "Ash! Come help me!"

"Mom, I'm in the middle of a wiffle ball game here," Ash said, tossing Freddie the ball.

"You know I need help getting in that freezer!" Jackie whined. "You're taller than me, could you please come-."

"Sorry, get Hyde to do it," Ash called back.

"Ash!"

"I'm sorry, Mom, but Lily and Freddie are beating me and Adrian a million to one, or so I've been told, and I need to at least attempt to tie it up!"

"She's so impossible sometimes," Jackie muttered.

"I'll help you," Hyde said.

"Good, cuz I can barely get into that freezer."

"Why did you buy it then?"

"Because it stores so much!"

Lily threw the wiffle ball over Adrian's head.

"WHOA!" he exclaimed, making a big production of missing it just so the little girl would laugh. "My gosh, Lily, you sure know how to throw!!"

"…I can throw too!" Freddie said, and he threw the other wiffle ball. Instead of soaring like Lily's, it hit Adrian in the face. This made the kids laugh, and Ash bit back her laughter too.

"Jeeze," Red muttered to Matthew. "I think I can kiss my dreams of a major league ballplayer in my familial line goodbye."

"I kissed those dreams goodbye a long time ago," Matthew said, and motioned to Paul, who was talking with Eric about Star Wars.

"Adrian, are you okay?" Ash asked.

"Tis but a scratch," he called back, and held in the swearing he wanted to let forth. "Good throw, Freddie."

* * *

Jackie and Hyde were in the basement, and she opened the freezer. It was really big, Hyde was kind of impressed and intimidated by it. She hopped up and held herself over the edge as she leaned into it, grabbing for the bag of ice that was at the very bottom. 

"Of course it would have to be at the bottom," she muttered, and Hyde found himself looking at her ass in her blue skirt. Her blue shoes kicked the freezer as she grabbed for the ice, and he wished that Ash had just come with her to get it. He'd spent the last week trying to stave off his feelings of lust and attraction for his old flame, but it hadn't worked, and right now he was failing miserably.

"Steven, would you come help me a little bit?" she asked.

"What do you need?" he asked. As this part of the basement went under the deck, they could hear the CD player. The song changed on the mix tape to 'Hungry Like The Wolf' by Duran Duran, probably off that damn CD Ash had bought.

"I have the ice, could you just pull me out of the freezer?" she asked. He gulped. He had to get his hands near that perfect ass and NOT grab it? It would be difficult, but he was going to do it. He grabbed her hips, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her out of the freezer. As he pulled her, her skirt pulled up against his jeans. She turned to face him, and he held onto her waist. The freezer top slammed shut, and it made them both jump a little bit. She still had the bag of ice in her hands, and he inhaled sharply as the cold went through his shirt.

"Sorry," she said, putting it on top of the freezer.

"It's okay," he said, still holding onto her. She held her arms up, bent at the elbows, and stared up at her ex.

"What are we doing?" she asked. He shrugged. And kissed her fiercely, which she returned. She leapt up onto him, and wrapped her legs around his waist. They kissed passionately, slamming into the freezer, then the wall, then back into the freezer again. She dropped to the floor and shoved him against the wall. She closed the door to the laundry room, and pulled her shirt off quickly. He yanked his off too, and began fiddling with his jeans. She slipped her panties out from her skirt, and pounced at him.

"Take off those damn sunglasses," she commanded, and he obliged and threw them on the floor, kissing her and grabbing her breasts through her pink lace bra. He grabbed her shoulders, and moved her against the wall, kissing her neck as she jumped up around his waist again. Screw the party outside, it was Ash's party anyways, no one would notice that they were gone.

"Takes me back," she said.

"No Duran Duran then though," he growled, and he entered her. She gasped a little bit, and pulled him close so she was trapped between the wall and him. He groaned a little, one arm holding her around the waist the other holding onto a pipe for a brace. He thrust, and she cried out with each one, wriggling all the while, almost dancing on his cock. This got him more excited, and he began to groan more.

"Jesus Jackie…"

"Harder, Steven."

"God, Jackie!…"

"HARDER, STEVEN." He listened to her, and she moaned repeatedly. They felt their orgasms building, glad that the music was blasting above them so they wouldn't be heard.

She stared deeply into his eyes as he thrust into her, her haunting eyes looking into his soul again. They didn't break eye contact with each other as he plunged into her over and over, desperate to know each other again. She finally broke the gaze to close her eyes in pleasure. That moment of staring definitely had it effect on Hyde, and he breathed harder as he closed his eyes.

Ecstasy made itself known and Jackie wasn't too shy to moan in bliss as she came. Her sultry vocalization made Hyde come too, and he groaned loudly. They sank to the floor of the storage room. She sat on top of him, and threw her hair back with her arm.

"….. Wow," he said.

"Yeah," she replied, and pulled herself off of him. She grabbed for her panties, and pulled them back on. "That was…. Yeah, wow." He chuckled a little, and zipped his pants back up.

"We should go back to the party," she continued, buttoning up her shirt. She stood, though her legs were a little wobbly, and grabbed the bag of ice.

"Yeah, probably," he said. And they left it at that. Though millions of thoughts and emotions were running through their minds and bodies.

* * *

They walked back outside, carrying the ice. It was true. Their absence wasn't noticed. Jackie walked to Paul with the ice back, and tossed it to him. 

"Here's the ice, guys," she said.

"You look like you could use some, Jackie," Donna said. "You're all flush."

"Well, it's June in the Midwest," Jackie said, innocently. "Maybe I will take a cube or two."

Hyde sat on the deck, worn out. He wasn't young anymore, he and Jackie used to be able to vertically fuck anywhere and everywhere until the cows came home. Walls, trees, you name it, they'd probably done it. But now that he was thirty seven it was getting harder to keep up, and apparently it was especially hard to keep up with her. But it felt great. Everything about this past week had felt perfect. He put on his zen face, now that he could hide behind his sunglasses again, and Ash plopped down next to him.

"Sorry I got all pissy back there," she said.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry about it," he stated. "I'm sorry for giving Adrian a hard time. He seems like a good guy."

"Yeah, I guess he is," Ash stated, watching him with Lily and Freddie. Freddie had hit him a couple more times, so Adrian was trying to teach him how to throw for real. "Man, so much has changed in a weeks time, yeah?"

"Yeah, no kidding," he said, ruffling her hair with his hand. She chuckled, and leaned against her Dad. It was a new step for her, and Hyde didn't really know what to do. So he put his arm around her, and pat her shoulder.

"More burgers are done!" Matt called. "Come and partake in the lovely feast that has been prepared by Red!"

"…. What the heck are you talking about?" Red asked.

"I was simply calling people over to eat," Matt stated, self consciously stroking his gray goatee. "I talk like that sometimes. I'm a professor, you know."

"Yeah, Steven mentioned that," Red stated. "Hey! Food! Eat!" His call seemed to be more effective, as people streamed over slowly towards the grill. Paul and Jackie walked over together.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Yep!" she said, a little too quickly. She and Hyde made eye contact, and she turned away, flushing a little bit. Paul caught the look, as did Donna. Donna and Paul proceeded to exchange looks, leaving Eric in the dark.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Nothing," Jackie, Donna, and Paul said.

Ash took a burger from Red, who gave her a huge one. She looked down at it, and then back at him.

"What's with the size of the burger?" she asked. "This is more like the size of something Adrian should have. Adrian, you want this?"

"I'm having a hotdog, Leigh."

"Oh pumpkin, it's not that big!" Matt exclaimed. "Would you rather have one of Debbie's veggie burgers?"

"No, thanks," Ash said quickly, and Kitty looked at Debbie.

"You don't eat meat?" she asked.

"Oh I do," Debbie said, taking a veggie burger. "Matt and I just eat these because they're good for your heart."

"Oh RED!" Kitty exclaimed, a bright idea entering her head. "We should look into those for YOUR heart!"

"Thanks a lot, Professor," Red said, bitterly. Matt shrugged, grabbed a veggie burger, and bit into it. He chewed it a little bit, and then held it out to Red.

"Care for a bite?"

"No!"


	11. With or Without You : U2

A/N: Well folks, the angst is back. But there's still a little time to fix it, and you all know I'm good for it. I hope you all hang in there, as the pay off should be worth it.

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW nor Dylan nor any other rock references I may make.

* * *

After the food had been consumed and the Foreman clan had gone to the hotel, and the Hodges sans Paul had left, the rest of the group stayed behind and cleaned up the backyard. Jackie and Hyde hadn't said anything to each other since their encounter in the basement. Jackie washed dishes and half listened as Paul rambled about how amazingly smart Donna was and how much he and Eric had in common, and Hyde just helped Ash and Adrian with the grass stuff. 

"This was a good day," Ash said. "I'm actually looking forward to going to brunch with the Foremans tomorrow."

"Hey, you're going to brunch?" Hyde asked. "They didn't invite me!"

"Well they want to catch up with me and Mom," Ash said. "I guess they figure they've seen enough of you the past 16 years."

"Ouch," Hyde said.

Jackie watched them through the window, and Paul moved a hand in front of her eyes. She smiled at him, and continued to wash the dishes.

"Was it a success?" he asked. "My parents had a good time. Did Kitty and Red?"

"Yeah."

"Did Ash?"

"Oh yes."

"Did you?"

"…… Of course."

"What's going on?" Paul asked, drying the bowls she'd hand him.

"Nothing!" she insisted.

"I'm not an idiot."

"I never said you were," she said.

"You haven't said much since people left," he said. "What is going on?" She was going to answer, when the phone rang. She went for it, happy for her salvation. She grabbed it.

"Hello?"

"What is going on?" Donna demanded.

"Oh not you too."

"You were acting all normal and stuff for part of the party, and then for the last part you got all quiet and distant, what is going on?"

"Nothing's going on! How do you know that isn't what's normal for me?" Jackie asked. "It's been sixteen years, after all."

"Because I know you, Jackie," Donna said.

"Donna, nothing is going on."

"See?" Paul hissed. "Donna knows, you may as well tell us."

"Paul, stop pestering me!" Jackie demanded.

"Oh, is Paul doing it too?" Donna asked. "HE would know. See, something is up, you may as well tell us."

"Donna….. Believe me. Nothing. Happened."

"…… Oh my GOD you and Hyde had sex!" Donna exclaimed. Jackie's face flushed, glad that Donna couldn't see it.

"Donna, that's ridiculous, we did NOT have sex!" she lied, and Paul set down the dish and looked at her, jaw dropped.

"OH MY GOD THEY DID!" he yelled at the phone. "Donna, her face is turning purple!"

"Paul, shut up!"

"See! You always blush when you lie!" Donna exclaimed. "Eric! Jackie and Hyde had S-E-X!"

"I can SPELL you know!" Jackie heard Freddie exclaim, and she closed her eyes. What a nightmare.

"Jackie, what were you thinking?" Donna asked. "He's barely been in your life again and you had sex?"

"Donna, it was a spur of the moment thing, and- Paul would you GET OFF?!" Jackie snapped, pushing Paul away from the phone as he leaned in to hear the conversation.

"Jackie, why do you always go back to him?" Donna asked. "I mean, really?"

"Donna, I will see you tomorrow for breakfast with the rest of your brood, until then I still have to clean up," Jackie said. "Goodbye!" She hung up, and Paul held up his hands, as the tiny sister figure was about to rip him to shreds. Even if she was five four and he was six two, he was still terrified of the damage she could do, especially when it came to the dreaded shin kick.

Ash was talking with Adrian when she saw through the kitchen window her Mom jump on Paul's back. She shook her head, and didn't want to know what it was about. They did that sometimes. He'd go too far and she'd take him down.

"Huh, Leigh, will you look at that," Adrian said, pointing through the window. "Your Mom and your uncle are throwing down."

"What the hell?" Hyde asked.

"It's best not to ask questions," she said.

* * *

After Jackie had taken Paul down, they sat on the couch of the living room. 

"So are you back together?" he asked.

"I don't know," she said.

"… Do you want to be?"

"I don't know," she said again. "I always fall too hard and then get hurt, so I'm trying not to let myself do that again."

"Oh…."

"I am NOT like a goddamn rolling stone anymore, Paul, I'm NOT."

"I know you're not," he said, knowing full well what that meant. "…. Jeeze, did you have to kick me in the kidney?"

"That was an accident and I apologized for that," she said, her tone clipped.

Hyde, Ash, and Adrian walked in.

"The backyard is clean," Ash said. "Okay, what happened between you two THIS time?"

"Nothing," Paul said, standing up. "I should be getting home, I'm beat and I have some documents to work on. Adrian, it was nice to meet you, Hyde, always a pleasure, Jackie, I'm going to get you for that kidney kick."

"It was an accident!" Jackie cried, and Paul nodded, smiling at her. "Bye, Paul."

"Bye." He let himself out, and Ash shot Adrian a look.

"Hyde, are you going to be here for a little while?" she asked.

"Uhhh," Hyde said, shooting a look Jackie's way, who nodded. They needed to talk after all. "Yes. Yes I am, Ash."

"Okay, I'm going to walk Adrian out then," she said. And they went out the back door.

"Hey, that's the back door," Hyde said, and then stopped himself.

"So, we need to talk," Jackie said.

"Yeah, I figured as much…."

Ash and Adrian walked to the deck, and Ash grinned at him.

"So thanks for coming today," she said, sitting on the step. He sat next to her, and he reached into his pocket. "What's that?"

"I brought my own mix tape," he said. She knitted her brow, and he put it in the tape player. Firehouse's 'Love of a Lifetime' began to play, and she laughed loudly.

"Can you believe these guys beat Nirvana and Alice in Chains for best new hard rock group?" she asked, laughing. He laughed too, and slapped his hand to his forehead.

"God, talk about a blunder," he said, and she laughed some more. He smiled at her, and took her hand. She stopped laughing, and just smiled at him on the stoop. He kissed her awkwardly and quickly, but as first kisses go it was pretty good. Probably because it actually meant something.

"Thanks," she said. He smiled a little.

"You're welcome, Leigh."

"You better be careful, though. Hyde may come charging through and kick you the hell out."

* * *

Back inside, Jackie was pacing, and Hyde was sitting on the couch. 

"Okay, so what do you think this means now?" she asked.

"I…. Huh?" he asked.

"Today in the laundry room," she said. "What does this mean now?"

"Oh," he said. "I…. Hm. Well, I guess the first question is did I knock you up again?" She tried not to laugh but did anyway. He was funny, always had been.

"Let's hope not," she said. "So…. I think we should just leave it at that."

"Uh…. okay," he said, surprised at this Jackie before him. The LAST time something like this had happened she had wanted to get back together. And he had hoped that this was the case this time.

"Just because I know you don't want a long term relationship," she rationalized. "It's okay, we've done this before and this time I'm not going to storm off in a huff."

"Well, you don't know that I don't want a relationship," he said, irritated that she was making assumptions.

"I want to stay cordial for our daughters sake."

"Me too, but maybe-."

"Steven, I'm not going to do this dance again," she stated, firmly.

"What dance, what are you-?" he began, but Ash had walked back into the house.

"Hey!" Jackie said, standing up and happy for the change of subject. "Your father is off, I think."

"Oh, okay," Ash said, and walked to him. "Well, it was good to see you, as always and….. Wait a minute. What am I walking in on here?"

"Nothing," Jackie said, but Ash was suspicious.

"….. What is going on between you two?" she asked, eying them both.

"Nothing!" Hyde said, shooting Jackie a dirty look. Ash looked from one parent to the next.

"…… Oh my GOD you two had sex," she said, gasping.

"No we didn't!" Jackie protested, wondering if someone had put a sign on her forehead.

"Aw JEEZE, you DID!" she exclaimed. "That's GROSS!"

"Wait a minute. Hey, it's not gross," Hyde said, vaguely insulted.

"Well what does this mean now?" Ash asked. "Are you back together or still apart or what?" Hyde and Jackie exchanged looks.

"No. We aren't together," Jackie said, and Ash's heart fell but she didn't show it externally. "I mean, we're still friends, and we still have your best interests at heart."

"Yeah yeah, blah blah blah," Ash said. "Well that's fine, whatever, but I thought that maybe you had both matured enough from when you were dumb kids to maybe work it out." She left the kitchen, seething at her parents. Jackie sighed, and put her hands to her forehead.

"Wow, that was cold," he stated.

"Yeah, she's pissed," Jackie said. "She has a temper, that one."

"Yeah, I've seen it too," he said. "… Jackie, I want to get back together." She sighed, and put her hands to her head.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said.

"Why not?" he asked. "Jackie, this past week… It's been so great, and I really want to be with you."

"And what about what I want?" Jackie asked, suddenly.

"You don't want to be with me?" he asked, the feelings of rejection being replaced with feelings of anger.

"It's so much more complicated than that," she said. "You know it is."

"Is this because of what I did to you sixteen years ago?" he asked.

"It's not some spiteful thing, if that's what you're asking," she stated. "I'm not ready to trust you yet. Today I let myself go, and I really didn't want to but I DID because I never got over you completely. And right now you say that you want to be with me, but what about when I start asking about marriage? What about when Ash wants her Dad in her life FULLY? Have you actually gotten over your fears? Is this feeling you have, this idea of a happy family, something you REALLY want? Or something you just want today?"

"That's not fair, Jackie."

"And I'm sorry about that," she said. "Steven, I care for you, and I never stopped caring for you. And that's really confusing because it's been 16 years. I can't get hurt again. But mainly, I can't let HER get hurt. It REALLY wouldn't be fair to her if you had one of your commitment freak outs!" He just took it all in, and put his hands together. She didn't know what he was thinking, and was preparing for him to storm out like he always used to. But he stayed briefly. Because he had something to say.

"Jackie, I know that I don't deserve another chance," he said. "I did a lot of crappy things to you in the past, and I regret all of them. I regret letting you go to Chicago, I regret Sam, I regret telling you that you were just fun, and I REALLY regret hurting you so badly you didn't think you could tell me about our kid. But dammit, I'm different now. I lived everyday of those years just trying to get by, and when you let me into Ash's life, and your life, I wasn't just surviving anymore. I was living.

"You don't have to trust me, and you don't have to forgive me, but you have to know that I… I still love you," he continued. She closed her eyes, it hurt so bad to hear those words again. "So if you will just give me another chance to prove that, this time I will NOT screw it up. Because if I did, that'd be it, it would kill me." She looked up at him, her eyes so full of pain and fear that it was heartbreaking.

"I don't know if I can," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"So I guess I just have to wait," he said, fiercer than he intended. His piece being said and her response being what it was, he left the house. She closed the door behind him, and sighed. She did what she had to do, but she felt like complete and utter crap. She walked into the kitchen, poured some wine, and went into the main room to turn on the radio.

Ash looked down at her Dad from the second story window as he got in his car. He fiddled with his keys, and looked up, feeling her eyes on him. He saw her, and it was like a punch to the gut. She closed the curtain, and was out of sight. He got in his car, and drove away.

Jackie was drinking the wine, and the radio kept going.

"Well, that was Janis Joplin on KQRS, classic rock," the DJ said. "But right now, let's hear something from our own local boy, Robert Zimmerman, aka Bob Dylan. Minnesota pride, Bobby. This is 'Like a Rolling Stone', you're listening to KQ 92." Jackie laughed sardonically. Of course it would have to be this song. Karma, you must really hate me, she thought, and sipped her wine.

_Princess on the steeple and all the pretty people  
They're drinkin', thinkin' that they got it made  
Exchanging all kinds of precious gifts and things  
But you'd better lift your diamond ring, you'd better pawn it babe  
You used to be so amused  
A Napoleon in rags and the language that he used  
Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse  
When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose  
You're invisible now, you got no secrets to conceal._

She felt tears slink down her face as she sat in the chair. It was very similar to sixteen years before, listening to Dylan and crying over him. She sat in the chair, and hugged herself.

Ash stood at the top of the stairs, and listened to the music. She was pissed at Jackie, but when she heard the song, the song that never really meant much to her but obviously signified something bad for her mother, she made her way down the steps. She walked to the chair, and sat on the arm of it. She put her hand on her mom's shoulder, whose face crumpled and began outright crying. Ash hugged her mother, and felt some tears slipping down her own face.

"I can't let him do it again," Jackie said. "Can you understand that, Ashleigh?" Ash nodded, sniffling. "I'm not strong enough. I'm just not strong enough."

"It's okay, Mom."

"Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you, I don't."

"He'll just run again, he always did."

"It's okay, Mom."

Hyde drove aimlessly, and realized that he hurt. He hurt really really badly. He pulled his car to the side of the road, as he couldn't see for some reason. He stopped the car, and rubbed his eyes. He realized that it was tears that were hindering his sight, and he snorted a little bit. So for three of the four times he'd cried out of emotional pain, Jackie was involved. Figured. He'd fucked it up so bad in the past it had killed his future. And now it wasn't just Jackie who was hurting, it was Ash. He turned on the radio, and heard Bob Dylan and that song that had caused so much pain for Jackie. And he realized something. Jackie was never the rolling stone. It had been him all along.

_How does it feel?  
How does it feel?  
To be on your own?  
With no direction home?  
Like a complete unknown?  
Like a rolling stone?_


	12. Just Like Honey : Jesus and Mary Chain

A/N: Hey folks! Thanks for the reviews, they've been great! I'm glad so many people are enjoying this story. I hope that everyone is staying cool during this hot week!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW nor any rock references I may make.

* * *

At the Foreman Burkhart breakfast Donna was the only one Jackie told about the big blow up. They were sitting on the other end of the table, so, their hushed tones were not heard by Kitty or Red as they talked to Ash. Ash had put on a strong face, and genuinely enjoyed the Foreman family. She was pissed at the situation, but certainly didn't let on about it. 

"See, this is why you don't sleep with Hyde," Donna said, in low tones.

"Yeah, thanks," Jackie said.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'll be okay," Jackie said. "I just hope that Ash doesn't hold this fight against me."

"She won't. He seriously said he loved you?"

"Yeah, he definitely said that."

"… Wow. How do you feel about him?"

"I don't know," Jackie said. "I don't know if I SHOULD love him after all that's happened."

"Screw should. Do you?" Jackie didn't answer.

"So Ash," Kitty said, "Your father told me that you like writing."

"Yeah, I really do," Ash said. "I love writing."

"Well that's fantastic, sweetie," Kitty said.

"Just don't write like those damn beatniks," Red said. "I blame them for how much of a slacker Eric was in high school."

"Hey Dad, Hyde's the one who read those books, not me," Eric said.

"I'm actually dating a guy who likes those books," Ash said.

"Was that the nice young man from yesterday?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah."

"Damn beatniks," Red muttered.

The maitre d came to the table.

"Excuse me, Red Foreman?" he asked.

"Yeah?" Red replied.

"Phone call for you." Red got up, and followed him away.

"Lily, eat your sausage," Donna said.

"I don't like it," Lily said.

"Lily, you like sausage," Eric stated.

"No I don't, Ash doesn't like it," she said. Eric waved at Ash.

"Ash, Lily says that she won't eat her sausage because you don't like yours," he said. "How about you prove her wrong?" Ash caught his drift, and held up her sausage link.

"Hey Lily!" she said. "I do like sausage! See?" She bit the link, and Lily smiled. She ate her sausage too.

"If Ash liked brussell sprouts Lily would eat them," Freddie said.

"Ash, do you like those?" Donna asked.

"Sorry, Donna, no," Ash said. Donna snapped her fingers.

Red came back to the table.

"Well Kitty, it's time to go back to Point Place."

"What? But we're eating breakfast!" Kitty exclaimed.

"Well Laurie is stuck in Green Bay."

"She's WHAT?"

"She says a friend of hers dumped her in the middle of town and ran off and she doesn't have money for a cab or a bus ticket," Red said. "Not on her, anyway."

"Translation." Eric said. "Laurie's most recent boyfriend dumped her in the middle of Green Bay and ditched her."

"Oh, why'd the chef do that?" Jackie asked.

"I never said it was the chef," Eric stated. "Dad, why are you going to enable her?"

"Because she's my daughter and it's called unconditional love," Red said, putting on his coat. "She would do the same for me because I'm her father. No matter how many times she's failed me, I still love her. You'd do the same for Lily and you know it." Ash looked at the table, and Kitty hugged her.

"It was so nice to meet you!" Kitty said. "You need to come out to Wisconsin!"

"We'll see, Kitty," Jackie, said, standing to hug Red and Kitty. Ash watched them leave, and then fell deep into thought. Red's words really affected her. "Have a safe trip, you two!"

"My sister ruins everything," Eric said. "Lily, Freddie, don't trust Auntie Laurie with anything, okay?"

"Okay," they both said.

Jackie and Ash said their goodbyes to the Foreman clan, and drove back to their house.

"How are you feeling today, Mom?" Ash asked.

"Oh, better than last night," Jackie said. "Thanks for the concern."

"Any time, Mom," Ash said.

* * *

Adrian was reading 'Steal This Book' when the phone rang. He answered it, and leaned back in his beanbag chair. 

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Hey Leigh, how are you?"

"Not so great," she said. "Can you come over?"

"… Yeah, sure."

He arrived at the Burkhart residence that evening, and she was sitting in the treehouse. He looked up, and she waved down at him, her leg dangling down from the door.

"So am I supposed to come up, or what?" he asked.

"Please!" she called, and he climbed up.

"So what's up?" he asked, sitting next to her. She looked up at the sun through the trees. "Did something happen after I left?"

"No, something happened while you were here, then got worse after you left."

"….. Okay, what did I do, because I was enjoying the non hostility between us-."

"Not you, Mom and Hyde," she said. "Apparently they slept together."

"Ugh," he said, and she chuckled.

"That's what I said!" she exclaimed. "But wait, that's not the bad part. She's totally unable to trust him because of what happened all those years ago."

"Man, that's rough," he said.

"The worst part is that he's still in love with her" she muttered. "At least that's what he says, though I don't really blame her for questioning it knowing what I know."

"Well, it does seem a little fast for them to be getting back together, I mean, they have things they need to solve, ya know?" he asked.

"I know, but I just want them to at least try," she said. "Because I see how they look at each other and I KNOW that it would all work out."

"How can you know that?" he asked.

"I just do," Ash said. "I've decided that Mom and Hyde are soul mates."

"Leigh, you're the last person I'd think would believe in soul mates," he said. "For God's sake, you're wearing a tee shirt that says 'Courtney Killed Kurt'!"

"Hey, we couldn't understand their love!" she joked, and shoved him playfully.

"So what, you want to do a lame 'Parent Trap' thing?"

"Maybe!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"…. I'm remembering why I found you so obnoxious when we first met."

"Ash, your parents, if they're really meant to be together, they will figure it out," Adrian said. "All you can do is try to keep your relationship with your Dad. That's the only thing you have control over. Now if they aren't together, do you want that?" She thought for a few minutes, and then smiled at him slyly. She kissed him quickly, and began to climb down from the tree house.

"Not so obnoxious now, am I?" he called after her, following behind.

* * *

As Hyde was closing up the store, he heard a knocking on the window. He turned, and saw Ash there. She pointed at the door, and he nodded. His heart began thumping, and he opened the door for her. 

"Hey," she said.

"…… Hey," he answered, and she walked in. "What's, um… You didn't bike here, did you?"

"No, Adrian is outside," she said. "He drives you know."

"Yeah, I remember, he's almost seventeen."

"Hyde…"

"Sorry, sorry," he said. "So what brings you to my neck of the woods?" She sat on the counter, and cocked her head.

"So what the hell happened last night?" she asked. "I mean, how did you guys manage to burn each other again in the course of five minutes?"

"It's a gift your Mom and I have always had," he said. "Though I know that it's mostly my fault, I can't give her what she wants."

"Can't, or won't?" Ash asked.

"Hey, SHE won't let me!" Hyde said, finding it depressing that he was getting love lectures from his fifteen year old daughter.

"Well regardless, you two are so infuriating to me," she said. "When she wants you, you don't take her, and now when you want her, she doesn't take you! It would be great poetic justice if it didn't throw me into the mix, ya know?"

"Well I'm sorry for that," he said.

"Yeah, me too," Ash said. "Well, if she doesn't she doesn't. That's life. What I do know is that she isn't going to shut you out of her life, because I'm here. So she won't be running to a different state this time."

"Well that's a relief," Hyde muttered, sarcastically.

"I thought it was," she said, blithely. "Well, I have to get going. Adrian is waiting on me."

"Okay," he said.

"Oh, and before I forget," Ash stated, and dug into her bag. "This was taken while we were all at Minnehaha Falls." She handed him a picture of the three of them. "I got it developed today. I think I look like I'm completely stoned but you and Mom look good."

"Thanks," he said, and smiled at her. She smiled at him, and they hugged.

"Give her a little time," Ash said, walking for the door. "Hell, she gave you chances when you didn't deserve it. She'd be dumb to not give you one when you did." With that, she left the store. Hyde smirked, and looked at the picture again. It was his family, something that he had never really had. Not truly. Of course, right now he didn't have it either, but at least in the photo he could pretend.

* * *

Ash was beginning to get ready for bed, when her room phone rang. 

"Hello?"

"It's Sam."

"AND Maddie! We're conference calling you!"

"Hey."

"Why so blue?" Sam asked.

"Guys, it's been a fucking dumb weekend." And she explained everything to her friends. They listened, and once she was done with her story, Sam whistled.

"That's rough," he said.

"It was because of the stripper, wasn't it?" Maddie asked.

"I'm going to hang up now," Ash stated.

"Well before you do, you should hear out what we had for plans tonight," Sam said.

"Oh yeah?" Ash asked. "Okay, I'll bite. What are the plans?"

"I got back from the cabin this afternoon, and I began thinking," Maddie said. " 'What kind of memories are these? Sitting by a lake, just marinating in the sun? I want some REAL memories!'"

"Okaaaay…" Ash said. "So what are you going to do?"

"WE are going on a ghost hunt," Maddie said.

"…. Are you fucking kidding me?" Ash asked. "A ghost hunt? What are you even talking about?"

"We're going to go to Calvary Cemetery in Saint Paul!" Sam said. "Gonna look for ghosts, gonna bring a tape recorder to record ghosts in the air."

"You're killing me with this crap," Ash said. "My Mom and Hyde are on the skids and you want to play Ghostbusters?"

"Don't you want to play with us?" Maddie asked. "I'm driving, and-."

"AGAIN with the driving sans license!" Ash snapped.

"Come on, Ash, it'll take your mind off things," Sam said. "And you know you love being scared. It's the ultimate horror movie, darling." Ash huffed, and smiled a little bit.

"When are you gonna be here, Maddie?"

"In two shakes of a lambs tail! Be ready! And bring a video camera too!"

"Yeah yeah yeah," Ash said. "See you in a bit. Sam, we'll meet outside. Mom is gonna kill me if she finds out I'm sneaking out to go on a ghost hunt."

"Precious memories are being built tonight!" Sam said, and they all hung up. Ash crept out her room, and peeked around the corner. Jackie's door was closed, and the light was off. She was probably sleeping. Ash smiled slyly, and dug out her clunky video camera she'd received from Pam and Jack for her birthday when she turned twelve.

"Who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!" she sang, and laughed a little bit. She grabbed 'Ghost Hunting for Dummies' off her bookshelf, and threw it in her backpack. She pat a sleeping Claudius on the head, grabbed her house key from her dresser, and carefully snuck down the steps, bag on her back and video camera under her arm.

Had Jackie not been in a fitful sleep, she still wouldn't have heard Ash creep from the house.


	13. Haunted : The Pogues

A/N: This has been a long time coming, and I want to say sorry about that. I was in Iowa for the weekend and then yesterday got away from me. But it's up now and I hope that everyone enjoys it!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70s Show nor any rock references I may make.

* * *

Ash, Maddie, and Sam climbed over the fence at the cemetery, and sat underneath a tree, watching and waiting. 

"I'm so bummed you guys," Ash said.

"We know," Sam stated, looking through his camera for anything suspicious. "Just have faith that it will all work out."

"I do, I do," Ash said. "I just want my Mom and Dad to be together, damn it! Isn't that every kids dream? I never thought it would be MY dream, but there ya go…"

"If your Mom can find a way to trust him and junk, that makes her even cooler in my book," Maddie said.

"She's hot too," Sam stated.

"Yes, you've said this before," Ash muttered. "I wish she wasn't so scared."

"Well wouldn't you be?" Maddie asked. "I know I would be. And you can act all tough and crap, Ash, but you know you would be scared…. Kind of like how I'm kind of scared right now."

"One, we're alone here right now Maddie, the only thing we have to worry about is trespassing. And two, maybe I would be scared," Ash admitted.

"Do you think they have security here?" Sam asked.

"It doesn't appear that they do," Ash muttered. "Man, you just jump in the conversation whenever you want, don't you?"

"Did you hear something?" Maddie asked.

"What did it sound like?" Ash asked. "Mournful wails and rattling chains?"

"No, like a twig snapped," Maddie answered.

"Damn, I was hoping for the wails and chains," Sam said, and put his camera back down. "Ash, do you have the video camera? I'm going to start documenting this."

"Yep." She handed it to him, and he turned it on, facing it towards himself.

"Midnight. Calvary Cemetery," he said, turning on the light. "As you can see, my colleagues and I have not witnessed anything yet. But we have not given up any hope. The NIGHT is still YOUNG!"

"Jesus, keep it down," Maddie said. "We don't want to draw any attention to ourselves."

"You mean more than your car being parked by the entrance?" Ash asked.

"Shhhhh," she said.

* * *

Hyde sat up, and looked at the phone. Should he call her? Probably not. For one thing, it was after midnight, and it would be rude. Secondly, he couldn't push it. He had to give her some space. But at the same time, what if she just kept running? That was what she had done last time, after all. Maybe he should take the initiative and call her. 

"You chicken shit," he muttered. Or maybe he'd just wait for her to call him.

But really, that wasn't his style. Even if he was older and knew better, he called her house. He didn't care if it was after midnight, or if he sounded like he was being a stalker… Okay, he DID care about that. So he put the phone back down, and crossed his arms. You know, when you were younger you would have just gone over there and made her listen to you, he thought. Of course, when you were younger you treated her like crap at the end of your contact with each other, so…..

"What's it gonna be, Hyde?" he asked himself. But the phone rang on it's own. He looked at it as if it were possessed, and then grabbed it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Steven!"

"Jackie?"

"Ash is gone!"

"…. What?!"

* * *

"One am," Sam said, looking into the camera. "As of this moment we have not seen anything too ghostlike, unless you count that weird mist that traveled across the cemetery-." 

"You mean the fog?" Ash asked, irritated.

"Fog? Or ectoplasm?" Sam threw back.  
"I'm pretty sure it was fog," Maddie said. "Especially since the entire place is shrouded in it. Sam, I'm bored. Can we go home yet?"

"No we can't go home yet!" Sam snapped, turning off the camera. "For God's sake, we are going to make ghost busting history tonight!"

"I don't know why you're so convinced of this," Ash muttered, leaning against a tree. "Why tonight?"

"I don't know, because we're here?" Sam asked, and Maddie and Ash groaned. "Look, I just wanted to do something that would be fun, and then I wanted to take your mind off your whole parenting debacle, Ash. Was that so wrong of me?" Ash smiled, and put an arm around Sam.

"It wasn't wrong," she said. "Only misguided. Look, we can sit out in this cemetery for another half hour, but if we don't see anything, I want to get home, okay?"

"Yeah, okay," Sam agreed. "Maddie, is that okay with you?"

There was silence. Sam and Ash looked around in the darkness, looking for the familiar shape that was Maddie. Sam turned on a flashlight, and noticed that she was gone.

"Maddie?" Ash hissed, looking around. "Maddie, what the FUCK?"

"Where did she go?" Sam asked, moving the flashlight across the headstones. "Shit! This is so fucked up! Do you think the ghost got her?"

"Sam, come one!" Ash exclaimed, but wasn't going to rule it out. "Crap. CRAP. We need to find her."

"RAWR!" Maddie exclaimed, jumping from behind a headstone. Ash and Sam both screamed, and she laughed hysterically. Ash, who was furious, took off her boot and threw it at her. It hit Maddie in the shoulder. "OW!"

"You deserved that, you bitch!" Ash snapped. "Jesus!! Give me a fuckin' heart attack!"

"Oh come on, it was just a little joke," Maddie said, tossing the boot back to her. "You're big kids, you can handle it."

"One ten am," Sam said, filming Maddie. "Instead of dealing with a ghost, we've had to deal with a mutinous skank in our own outfit."

"Oh don't be so dramatic," Maddie said, and primped for the camera.

* * *

Hyde showed up at the Burkhart house, and Jackie opened the front door, looking tired, frantic, and yet still gorgeous. How does she do it? He wondered, and got out of his car. 

"Do you have any idea when she left?" he asked, walking into the house.

"No," Jackie said, and they walked into the kitchen. "But I know she left at her own free will."

"How do you know?"

"The doors were all locked and she took a sweatshirt from that coatrack," Jackie said, pointing at it. "I'm going to KILL her when she gets home!"

"Can I help?" Hyde asked, and Jackie poured him some orange juice. "So… I notice that you didn't call Paul…" She looked up from the juice, and shrugged fitfully.

"Well, you are her father," Jackie stated. "For the good and the bad. This is what we call 'the bad'. Oh Steven, what if something happens to her out there? What if she gets hurt, or even worse-!"

"Jackie, calm down," he said. "I'm sure she's out with friends, we used to do this all the time when we were kids."

"Yeah, in Point Place! This is Minneapolis! Didn't you know we get the nickname MURDERAPOLIS?!" He put his hand on hers.

"She's fine… And I did not know that," he said. "She's probably out with that punk boyfriend of hers."

"Adrian? He seems like the type that would keep her from doing dumb shit," Jackie said.

"Has she ever done something like this before?" he asked. "I mean, snuck out in the middle of the night?"

"…. Once before," Jackie said. "She went to a midnight movie with her friend Shelly once, they were showing 'Dead Alive' at the Uptown theater… She got grounded for that one. Apparently that didn't stick."

"She'll be home soon, maybe she went to another midnight movie?"

"On a Sunday?" she asked, and Hyde shrugged. She finally stopped pacing, and sat across from him at the table.

"Jackie, if you want I'll wait here with you until she gets home, then you can deal out whatever punishment you see fit, and I'll be on my way," he said. She looked at him.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Well, I know that things are weird between us right now, so-."

"That doesn't matter!" she stated. "What matters is that Ash is out there somewhere and I'm THIS close to calling the police!"

"Don't call the police yet."

"Why not?"

"Because they don't take that stuff seriously until after she's gone for at least two days."

"Oh my GOD…"

"Okay, that was the wrong thing to say…"

"Ya THINK?!"

"What I'm saying is that right now we have no reason to be worried. Just pissed off as all get out."

"Well I'm already that far."

"Good!" She rested her head in her hands, and sighed. "Jackie, it's going to be okay."

"You know, you're probably right," she said. "But I'm still going to worry."

* * *

"One forty five am," Sam said, feeling mighty dejected. "My comrades are getting a little restless,-." 

"And sleepy!" Maddie exclaimed.

"And sleepy," he continued. "I think that tonight's ghost hunt has been a complete bust… And that sucks. But there's always next time around!"

"So he thinks," Ash whispered, and Maddie giggled.

"We're going to see something in one of these cemeteries one of these days," Sam stated. "I promise you that. I PROMISE you that. I- Hello, what was that?" He turned the camera, and Ash and Maddie both looked to where he was looking.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Maddie asked, and he waved at her to shut up. "What is he doing?"

"I don't know…" Ash said, her voice lower now. "Sam, what do you see?" He crept forward, very slowly, and then motioned for them to come closer. Maddie and Ash complied, and lugged their bags with them.

"What, Sam?" Ash whispered, and he pointed. Ahead through the darkness, it looked as if there was a woman, but Ash couldn't really tell. "What is that?"

"I don't know," Sam muttered, and crept forward more. "Crap, I can't get a good shot of it."

"Guys, can we please go?" Maddie asked, getting a little fearful. Ash and Sam walked forward, as Maddie held back. "Guys?"

"Shhh," Ash hushed, and she and Sam stopped behind a tree, peeking out around the trunk. "Sam, are you getting this on film?"

"I don't know what we're filming but I'm getting it," he said, and began narrating again. "Though it may be a little premature, I believe that what we are witnessing is none other than a paranormal-."

"Stop with the commentary!" Ash hissed. Whatever it was ahead, it turned, and began moving towards them. Ash and Sam both screamed, which caused Maddie to scream, and they all tore through the cemetery towards the entrance.

"I hate you I hate you I hate you I hate you Sam!" Maddie shrieked.

"Just run!" Sam exclaimed. Ash was quite a bit ahead of them, until she tripped over a small headstone and fell on her face. She swore, and tried standing, but her ankle burned in pain.

"Ahh FUCK!" she yelled as the red hot hurt ripped through her ankle. "Guys! Help me!"

"Oh my GOD she's been GRABBED!" Sam exclaimed, and Maddie ran to her.

"You dumbass, I think I sprained my ankle!" Ash snapped, and Maddie helped her up. She leaned on Maddie and hopped the rest of the way to the car. They got in, and Maddie revved the engine and sped away from Calvary Cemetery. Sam watched the tape through the camera, and swore.

"What?" Maddie asked.

"You can't see a damn thing!" he wailed. "We may have seen a ghost and we have no proof!"

"Fuck you and your ghost!" Ash exclaimed, and pulled off her shoe. "I'm royally screwed, you guys!"

"Are you sure you can't walk on it?" Maddie asked, glancing back at her.

"I'm pretty damn sure, yes," Ash snapped. "How do I explain THIS to Mom?"

"… You fell out of bed?" Sam suggested.

"Don't help me, Sam," Ash muttered. "Okay… Okay……. Okay, here's what I'm going to tell her. I'm going to fake falling down the steps tomorrow morning. That should work, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that should work," Maddie said. "You are a klutz sometimes."

"Whatever!"

"Well you DID manage to trip over a headstone…"

"Maddie, just drive," Ash said, and winced in pain about her ankle.

* * *

Jackie and Hyde were sitting on the couch, just waiting in silence. 

"It's almost two," Jackie said.

"Yeah…"

"…. Steven, I'm so worried."

"I know…. I'm worried too."

"Do you think this is my fault?"

"Why would it be your fault?"

"….. She really wants us to get back together."

"….. Oh."  
"And I…. I rejected you…."

"…. Well that may be, but this isn't your fault. She's a teenage girl who has ME as a Dad. She's bound to get into trouble, if you ask me she has a lot of catching up to do."

"She's probably acting out, ya think?"

"Jackie, I don't know, okay?" She nodded, and stood again. She began pacing some more. "Would you stop pacing, please? You're making me dizzy."

"Well I'm SORRY," she snapped. "Our daughter is just out there in Minneapolis doing GOD knows WHAT!"

"Well why did you even come out to MURDERAPOLIS anyway?!" he demanded, having had enough of her tenseness and not enough sleep. "You didn't have to come out here, you know!" She stopped pacing, and just looked at him.

"Yeah, I know, thanks," she said, testily. "I didn't HAVE to, but it seemed better than the alternative!"

"Being alone here with our kid seemed better than being back in Point Place with me?" he asked, standing up too.

"We wouldn't have been with you, Steven!"

"How do you know?" he asked. "You don't know! You didn't know that I wouldn't have gotten back together with you!"

"No, I didn't know, but I had a pretty good hunch!" she bit back. "Steven, people can't be together just because they have a kid together! It isn't fair to them or to the kid! What kind of environment would that have been for Ash? Constantly at each other's throats, unable to trust each other? That's not how parents are supposed to be!"

"We wouldn't have been that way! We WON'T be that way!" he yelled back, and she felt tears beginning again. He saw that she was getting upset, which was a step in the wrong direction, and decided to back off. "Okay, I'll stop. I'm sorry, I know you're worried. We're both worried, we won't talk about this right now….."

"…. Okay," she said, and closed her eyes. They both sat back on the couch, and looked at each other. He put a hand on her shoulder, and smiled bravely. She smiled at him too, and began to melt all over again. She rested her forehead against his, and was about to take his hand, when the front door began to unlock. Jackie and Hyde both pulled away, and stood up.

Ash opened the, knowing full well that Hyde was there. She knew she was in for it from not only Mom, but Hyde as well. She hopped inside, and was met by two angry parents.

"….. Hey," she said.

" 'Hey'?" Jackie asked. "That's all you have to say? 'Hey'. Ashleigh Lorelei Burkhart, where the HELL have you been?!"

"… I was out with people," she said.

"Out with people?" Hyde asked, and wondered if he was this flippant when he was her age. "At two in the morning?"

"Your curfew is MIDNIGHT, Ashleigh! MIDNIGHT!" Jackie scolded. "You went out past your curfew, and…. Wait, why are you hopping on one foot?"

"…. A ghost chased me and I think I sprained my ankle," Ash said, looking at the floor.

"…A ghost?" Hyde asked.

"Oh my God," Jackie said. "Okay, we're taking you to the hospital. Steven, will you drive? I can't drive and scold at the same time."

"Okay," Hyde said, and they helped Ash to his car. "But don't think this is a get out of jail free card, young lady!" Ash's mouth dropped. It was new having a DAD scold her. It was kind of scary, but also exciting. Things were beginning to fall into place!

* * *

They left the emergency room at four in the morning. On the ride over, both Hyde and Jackie were lecturing her and scolding her, and they didn't stop until they got into the examination room. Ash hadn't actually sprained her ankle, she just twisted it pretty badly. The hospital had given her crutches she could use until she was able to walk without pain again. 

"So am I grounded?" Ash asked, as they all made their way back to Hyde's car. Jackie shrugged, and opened the back seat door for her.

"Well, I was ready to deal out a punishment of gargantuan proportions, but I think your ankle is punishment enough," Jackie said. Ash sighed, and nodded as Jackie climbed into the front with Hyde. "…. Why did you sneak out, Ash?"

"Because Sam wanted to go ghost hunting," Ash said. Hyde smirked as he drove.

"… Are you serious?" Jackie asked.

"Yeah."

"You didn't go out drinking or anything like that? You went ghost hunting?" Jackie asked.

"… Yes."

"….. That's… a relief, I suppose," Jackie said, looking at Hyde, who was trying his best not to laugh. "Okay…. Tell you what. You aren't grounded. But you do have to pick up a lot of chores around the house at my discretion, okay?"

"With my ankle the way it is?"

"Would you rather be grounded?"

"No! No. Just give me a list and I'll do them." Jackie sighed in relief and exhaustion.

"Thank you for not fighting me on this," Jackie stated. "I'm going to be a wreck at work."

"Me too," Hyde said.

"…… I'm sorry," Ash said. "I'm sorry for being dumb, and twisting my ankle, and making you two worry."

"…. Well, you've experienced karmic retribution," Hyde said. Ash nodded.

"It's just been… hard and I wanted a distraction," Ash said, softly. Jackie and Hyde were silent, knowing what exactly had been hard. "Maybe I subconsciously hurt myself on purpose to bring you two together."

They got back home, and Jackie helped Ash up the steps to bed. She came back downstairs, and Hyde stood up from the couch. She shrugged, and chuckled a little bit.

"Think she actually saw a ghost?" Jackie asked, and Hyde smiled.

"You never know with ghosts," he stated. "Well, I have work tomorrow to, so I should probably go."

"Okay," Jackie said. "Sorry for rousing you out of bed."

"Hey, it was important," Hyde said, neglecting to mention that he wasn't even sleeping when she'd called.

"Well, I'm gonna head off," he continued. "I'll see you around."

"…. Yeah," she said. "….. Drive safely."

"I will." They hugged, and she closed her eyes. He closed his too, but knew that she needed to figure their baggage out on her own. And besides, the evening's events were proof that he would always be in Ash's life regardless of his relationship with Jackie. If that was how it was going to be, he'd be okay with it.

"Night," she said.

"Night." He left, and she went upstairs to try and salvage at least SOME sleep.

Ash elevated her ankle, and Claudius purred next to her head. She pet him, and knew that Adrian was going to give her the worst shit for what had happened.

Which he would. She didn't know it then, but the next day when he saw her he'd say 'So THIS is your idea of a parent trap?'


	14. Real Solution 9 : White Zombie

A/N: These are coming out not as fast as normal because I've been super busy what with moving and all. But thanks for the patience and I hope that they're worth the wait.

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW nor any rock references I may make. Though I own Ash, and she's such a cutie!

* * *

Jackie knocked on Ash's door the next evening after she got home from work.

"Come in." She opened it, and was surprised to see Adrian there with her daughter. She was about to lecture about the door being closed, but noticed that they were only playing on Ash's Sega Genesis, not engaging in carnal desires.

"Hey Mom," Ash said. "How was work?"

"It was fine. How is your ankle?"

"It's not as ouchy."

"That's good. Hello, Adrian."

"Hello," he stated.

"Paul wanted to know if we wanted to do sushi on Wednesday," Jackie said. "Do we?"

"Well I can't because Maddie and Sam are coming over to watch horror movies," Ash said. "But you should go. Paul would be sad if you didn't go."

"It's true, he has no life outside of me," Jackie said. "Okay, maybe I'll go then. I could use some Paul time. And wait until he hears about how you hurt your ankle."

"Don't tell him!" Ash exclaimed.

"Well honey, he already knows it happened!" Jackie threw back. "Why can't he know how you managed to do it?"

"Because it's embarrassing!" Ash exclaimed. "He'll never let me hear the end of it if he knows I got it while running away from a ghost!"

"What you THOUGHT was a ghost," Adrian corrected.

"It was a ghost," Ash complained. "Why else would it be in a cemetery?"

"It could have just been a grieving woman," Adrian said. "Or a crazy person like the three of you." Ash hit his shoulder, and he rubbed it slowly.

"Well whatever you saw, Paul is going to hear about it," Jackie said. "I'll go call him." She left the room, and Ash and Adrian when back to their game.

"So did your Parent Trap work?" he asked.

"Stop calling it that."

"You're the one who was planning one, Leigh."

"Well not like that," she muttered. "And I don't know. Clearly they aren't together. I talked to Hyde briefly today, he gave me shit about my ankle but sounded kind of melancholy at the same time."

"Your Dad is kind of a downer."

"Wouldn't you be? I mean, if I wasn't willing to give you a change, you'd be devastated," she said, while the Sonic the Hedgehog in her control began to fight Dr. Robotnick as Adrian's Tails just sat back, watching.

"Well I suppose that's true," he said, snarkily. "When you were SO SO cruel to me in that writer's workshop, I cried myself to sleep every night asking the heavens 'Why oh why won't Ashleigh look in my direction?!'"

"You wanna stop with that and maybe help me fight Robotnick?" she asked, as Sonic lost all his rings from a hit. "FUCK! Like, NOW?!"

"Calm down, I gotcher back," he said, and Tails went into action. "Jesus, leave it to a man to do a woman's job." She hit him on the shoulder, and Tails lost all his rings as well. "Dammit! Well now we're equally screwed!"

"It's your fault."

"I'm sorry, HOW?"

"Sexist."

"I'm not-!"

"There, I beat him," Ash said. "Thanks for NOTHING."

"…. You're impossible."

"And you ADORE me."

"….. Shut up."

* * *

Jackie called Paul's house to find that he was not home. Which meant he must have been having a long night at the office. Poor guy, she thought, and dialed his office phone. 

"Paul Hodge."

"Hello!"

"Oh hey Jackie."

"Well don't sound TOO excited," she muttered.

"Sorry, I'm swamped in a document that needs to be figured out by tomorrow at noon," he said. "So let's make this short. Are we on for sushi Wednesday?"

"We are, Ash cannot come," Jackie said. "She's having friends over."

"I thought she was in trouble."

"Let's not start accusing me of being too lax, she has a long list of chores to get done by the end of the week and her ankle is all wrapped up," Jackie said.

"Fair enough."

"Don't tell me how to raise my daughter."

"I'm not!"

"I'm watching you, mister," Jackie said.

"As scary as that is, I need to let you go and get back to work," Paul said.

"Why don't you go work at home?"

"Home is too distracting," he said. "I need to go!"

"Okay okay okay! Bye!"

"Bye."

* * *

Paul hung up, and went back to his document. He was beginning to swear a little under his breath, when there was a knocking on his door. This was perplexing, because he wasn't expecting anyone and usually security weeded out the undesirables. But then of course, it wasn't exactly the most locked down building, as it was on a quiet street in Saint Paul.

"Come in?" he said, and Steven Hyde walked in. "Oh! Hyde. Um…. How can I-?"

"Look Hodge, I don't like you and you don't like me, so-."

"What? I like you fine!"

"Oh. Well, I guess-."

"Why don't you like me?!"

"I… It was just a phrase, I have no opinion of you," Hyde said, beginning to feel stupid.

"Well why would you say something like that?" Paul asked.

"I don't know! I'm sorry, I'm under a lot of stress right now, and I came to you for advice. You're a lawyer, after all," he said.

"Well the advice I give is usually legal advice," Paul said. "And to corporations…"

"Yeah, I know, but-."

"If you want some HUMAN advice maybe you should go see a psychologist."

"Hey, I'm not crazy and I don't need a shrink!"

"Not everyone in therapy is crazy!" Paul exclaimed. They couldn't quite manage to get off on the right foot. "I'll have you know that your daughter goes to a therapist from time to time, is SHE crazy?"

"I don't know!" Hyde exclaimed. "I barely know her!"

"Well it's only been, what, two weeks?" Paul asked. "So you aren't expected to."

"Why does Ash see a therapist? Why didn't I know this?" Hyde asked.

"She just sees one because of anxiety issues," Paul said. "She's not a psycho killer or anything, if that's what you're worried about."

"Well obviously she's not!" Hyde said, and began to pace the room. "This is awful. You know more about my kid than I do."

"I HAVE known her longer," Paul said. "No reason to get all…. What would you call this state of mind, might I ask?"

"Agitation."

"And why are you agitated?" Paul asked, setting his highlighter down. He wasn't going to get to his document until he got rid of Hyde, and the only way to do that was to talk him down from his emotional precipice.

"… I am just a big chicken," Hyde said, sitting in the chair across from Paul. "Jackie doesn't want me in her life because I hurt her so much, and I am really REALLY sorry for it, but I have this knack of never saying the right thing. Especially when it comes to her. So when I'm about to tell her everything, I just kind of… choke and stop and say something else. Though the other night I thought I said a good deal-."

"You did," Paul assured him.

"Oh what, she told you?" Hyde asked, embarrassed.

"Oh Christ, now isn't the time to get demure," Paul muttered. "Yes, she told me because I'm her brother!"

"You aren't her brother!"

"Well I'm the closest thing she has to a brother, and I'm her closest friend in the tri metro area! So of COURSE she's going to tell me these things!" Paul snapped.

"Okay okay, sorry," Hyde said.

"Look, what all do you want to tell her?"

"Why, are you going to tell her for me?"

"GOD no!"

"Then why are you asking?" Hyde demanded.

"I'm trying to help you," Paul stated. "For Jackie and Ash's sake. Look, I'm pretty convinced that Jackie still cares about you very deeply, but she is DAMAGED, Hyde. She's damaged. And you can't throw damaged things around willy nilly, you know?"

"Did you just say willy nilly?"

"ANYWAY, what I'm saying is that you have to be very careful with what you say to her, which is probably why you don't say much at all," Paul said. "You're no idiot, so you just keep your mouth shut in fear of setting her off. Even more so now because of the things you've said in the past and how she's reacted to them."

"…. What the hell?" Hyde asked. "THIS is legal advice?"

"No, this is human advice, I was a psych major in college."

"And you went into law?"

"Eh."

"…. Okay, anyway, so what should I do?" Hyde asked. "I can't say what I feel because I suck that way."

"Or perhaps it's because your parents never listened to you so-."

"Whoa whoa whoa, let's not get carried away with this psych stuff."

"Dang, I should have gone to grad school for my PhD!" Paul said, impressed with himself. "So here's what I propose you do. Write a letter."

"A letter?"

"Yeah. A letter. It will get out everything you've wanted to say, and then you can give it to her," Paul said. "It's kind of Victorian England, but at least with a letter you'll figure out what you want to say in advance." Hyde nodded, pensively.

"Well, that's a good point," he said, and grabbed Paul's stationary.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"It won't take long," Hyde said.

"Uh, yes it will!"

"Okay so it will," Hyde muttered. "I won't bother you, I'll just be here writing."

"Why can't you write at YOUR house?" Paul asked.

"Because I need to get it out now!" Hyde threw back.

"Well fine, but let me work on this document," Paul said.

"Deal."

* * *

Ash and Adrian and finished the game, and were now just sitting in her room. 

"So what do we do now?" she asked. "We won the game."

"…. Want to play another one?"

"Okay!" she said.

"What's on the computer in the study down the hall?"

"Oregon Trail."

"Oh SHIT I'm THERE!" Adrian said, and leapt up, rushing for the study. Ash smirked, and grabbed her crutches. She began to make her way over to the study as well, and saw the picture of her and her parents that she'd tacked to the board above her desk.

"Adrian!" she called, hopping after him. "Can we work on another Parent Trap?"

"No, we're going to work on getting to Oregon," Adrian said, booting up the game.

"But Adrian, I have another plan!"

"And what does it involve? Twisting your other ankle?"

"No! Let's say that I 'run away'-."

"Stop right there," Adrian said. "You aren't Lucy Ricardo and I'm not Ricky, so no more of these stupid schemes that backfire in your face."

"The Cemetery wasn't a plan!"

"If your parents only come together out of concern for you, you'll have to be constantly in trouble," Adrian said, entering their names in the game. "And while I bet you THINK you can do it forever, you can't. I named our wagon team The Poes. Pretty cool, huh?"

"Adrian, but if this gets them closer, maybe-."

"Let them do it on their own or so help me God your wagon name is going to be Hortense," Adrian stated, pointing at her. She pursed her lips, and he smiled. "Seriously though. They need to figure it out on their own. This isn't a Disney Movie and you aren't Hayley Mills. Though if there were TWO of you, think of the possibilities!"

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just make a pervy joke," she said, and pulled up a second chair. "You better get us to Oregon in one piece mister Poe."

"I'll try, Mrs. Poe."

"If any of our children die from snakebite or cholera I'm going to divorce you."

* * *

It was ten thirty and Paul was almost done with the document. His floor was littered with paper that had been scribbled on and crumpled up, and he was trying not to kick Hyde out. 

"This isn't working," Hyde said, ripping another piece of paper off the pad.

"Please use the recycling bin this time," Paul said, kicking it towards him. "And maybe try a pencil."

"Everything I say comes out feeling phony."

"I'm sure it's fine," Paul said.

"Look, I'm not good with words, I never have been, and I never will be," Hyde said. "I'm not a lawyer."

"Heh, we ARE great with words."

"Well thanks for trying, but I think I'm gonna head out," Hyde said. "I've taken up enough of your time tonight."

"As true as that may be, are you sure you don't want to try again?" Paul asked, and Hyde threw the paper in the recycling.

"Nope." He began picking up the crumpled paper and putting it in the recycling too. Paul watched him, and secretly fished out the last draft that Hyde had written. "Thanks for trying though."

"Oh certainly," Paul said, shoving the draft in his desk. "If you ever decide to try again, you know where to find me."

"Yeah, I suppose I do," Hyde said. "…. Later."

"Bye." Hyde left, and Paul pulled out the last draft and read it through.

"Paul, you shouldn't be reading this, it's private," he muttered as he read it. "Then again, you're going to be the bestest big brother EVER."


	15. Love of a Lifetime : Firehouse

A/N: Well this is the last chapter, kiddies, though there will be an epilogue to follow. I just want to thank everyone who has been such a supporter of this story. It almost didn't get off the ground, but now that it has I am very happy with the direction it went. And Zenkindoflove, you're my girl and deserve a special shout out like always! You made sure I got off my ass and saw this through! Thanks sweetie!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70s show, FIREHOUSE, nor any other rock reference I may make. But Ash is mine, and I wish I was as hip as she is.

* * *

Ash, Sam, Maddie, and Adrian were watching THE EVIL DEAD 2 three nights after the Ghost Hunt. Ash was now able to walk without crutches, but slower than usual. Adrian had put his hand on her leg, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Okay you two, if you're going to get grabby while we watch this movie I am going to just go home," he said.

"Sam, we aren't getting grabby," Ash said, and Adrian removed his hand. "Besides, no one said you couldn't invite your little crush."

"First of all, I don't have a crush on Cady. And second of all, she hates horror movies," he said.

"You two just don't sound compatible," Maddie said.

"Opposites attract, you know," Adrian said. "I don't really understand this movie, though. I mean, is it a remake of the first one, or did they show up at the cabin again? Didn't he learn his lesson?"

"No dissing my namesake," Ash said.

"Besides, Bruce Campbell can't act," Maddie said.

"NO DISSING BRUCE!" Ash and Sam both snapped, shutting Adrian and Maddie up.

Jackie and Paul walked in.

"I LOVE this movie!" Paul exclaimed.

"Don't you dare, we have reservations at Saji Ya," Jackie said.

"Can't we stay a little bit?" he asked.

"Even if we had time, which we DON'T, there's not way I'm watching this movie," Jackie said. "It's so violent!"

"But it's ME!" Ash said, pointing at Ash Williams on the screen as he chainsawed his hand off. Jackie groaned, closing her eyes, and all the males in the room shouted 'COOL!'

"That's disgusting," Maddie said, closing her eyes as well.

"See, look at me! I RULE!" Ash exclaimed, pointing at the screen.

"… Okay, that was pretty badass," Jackie admitted. "But Paul, we have sushi in our near future, not zombies."

"Technically they're just possessed bodies," Paul said, and she pulled on his arm. "Arg, FINE. See you kids later. No orgies."

"PAUL!" Jackie and Ash both exclaimed, and she pulled him out of the house.

"Hey, I was just kidding," he stated. "…. How are you doing?"

"Oh…. Surviving," she said, as they walked to his car. "I know I did the right thing, but part of me wishes that I had just taken him back the other night. I sound like a complete psycho and totally unable to make a decision."

"Well, I know you're hurting, but let me say for the record that as your 'brother', who knows what tomorrow will bring?"

"I guess," she said. "… I could really go for some spicy tuna rolls."

"Me too."

"Can't we watch something else?" Maddie asked. "I mean, can't we watch 'Grease'?"

"Fuck you and your fucking 'Grease'," Ash said, hitting her with the pillow.

"WOW," Adrian said. "Why the hate towards that movie?"

"Please don't let her start," Sam begged, but Ash was on the soapbox.

"The hate towards 'Grease' is because at the end, Sandy changes so Danny will be with her," Ash explained. "She goes all skanky and betrays her character so she can be with a man."

"Hey, Danny changes too, he was wearing that athletic sweater," Maddie said, hitting Ash back with the pillow.

"Oh what, for like TWO seconds!" Ash insisted. "If you remember he took that damn sweater off during their big song and dance number, and went all bad boy again."

"She has a point, though an irrational one," Sam said, turning up the movie. "Now that you've said your piece, can I please watch this movie?"

"Yeah, I'm actually agreeing with him on this, what does THAT say?" Adrian asked.

"…. 'Grease' is sexist," Ash jabbed one last time.

"It is NOT!" Maddie snapped.

"SHUT UP!" Sam snarled at both of them. "Maddie, it's sexist. Ash, you know you love Kinicke and Rizzo. Agree to disagree."

* * *

"Jackie, you've barely touched your sushi," Paul said, and she looked up from her daze.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "I guess I'm just not that hungry."

"Well then I'll take it," he said, reaching for them. She hit his hand with her chopsticks. "Hey! Well make up your mind! Hungry or not?"

"Hungry!" she said, and popped a spicy tuna roll in her mouth. "Owwie! It's spicy!"

"It's a spicy tuna roll, what did you expect?"

"I thought that was a California roll."

"You really ARE out of it, they're completely different." She smirked, and shrugged. "Okay, what's going on?" She sighed, and shrugged.

"I don't know," she said. "I know I'm doing the right thing with Steven, but-."

"Jackie, if you're this upset by it why are we still sitting here eating sushi?" he asked.

"… Because I like sushi!" she exclaimed. "And you have to pay the bill!"

"Look, he's been proven to be really responsible and trustworthy, what with the whole 'Ash saw a ghost and hurt herself in the process' situation. What I mean is if you are still thinking about Hyde, why aren't you going after him and taking him back?" he asked. She held up her hands, and shook her head.

"Nuh uh," she stated. "I'm not setting myself up for that again."

"God, you are such a coward," he said.

"I prefer to see myself as cautious," Jackie stated, glaring at him quickly. "And besides, where do you get off calling me a coward?"

"I get off at 'Big Brother Is Right Avenue'," he said, eating a spicy tuna roll.

"Paul, for God's sake I'm just trying to keep myself from getting hurt," she hissed. "And I really don't want Ash to get hurt."

"She isn't going to get hurt and you know it!" Paul said. "Selfish."

"I'm not selfish!"

"You are selfish because you're pushing him away because of YOUR fears!"

"Why is that selfish? Why is protecting myself selfish? I'm not telling him to get out of both our lives! I'm not even telling him to get out of my life!" she snapped.

"…. You love him, don't you?" Paul asked. She didn't answer. "Jackie Jackie Jackie. Why are you here and not at his place?"

"Because I refuse, I REFUSE, to let him hurt me again!" she hissed. "Can't you understand that? Can't HE understand that?"

"What I understand is that last week you'd been really REALLY happy," Paul said. "I've never seen you as happy with a guy as you are with Hyde. Isn't the risk worth it?"

"I don't know!" she exclaimed. "I really don't know! Is Steven Hyde worth it? Is he? I've been asking myself this all week! All these YEARS! Is he worth it?!" She hit the table, and held her head in her hands.

"…. No," Paul said. "He's not worth it."

"…. What?" Jackie asked, surprised.

"He's not worth it. He screwed with your heart and mind and NOW wants forgiveness."

"Well, to be fair, I did leave without a goodbye and I never did tell him about Ash-."

"Because he was a dick, that's why you didn't tell him about Ash."

"And because I was afraid," Jackie said, getting irritated with her big brother.

"Rightfully so!" Paul said, sipping his water. "The only reason you're in a moral quandary about him is because you share Ash with him. If Ash wasn't a factor, this wouldn't be such a hard decision for you."

"I disagree," Jackie said, beginning to fume. "I've always had a soft spot for Steven, and he sounds sincere! You didn't hear him the other night, you-!"

"Ah, but he always sounded sincere, didn't he?" he asked. "But he always broke your heart."

"He was a kid, Paul! That was sixteen years ago!"

"So are you saying that people can change?"

"Yes!"

"Are you saying that Steven Hyde has probably changed after all these years?"

"Yes!"

"Well it's about goddamn time you figured that out!" Paul said, popping another California roll in his mouth. She was about to keep going, but realized what he had done. She let her mouth drop, and then closed it again. He was just smiling triumphantly as he ate his sushi.

"You're such a dick."

"If you truly believe he's changed, you should go to him."

"Well you didn't have to berate me to make that point!"

"How about I finish making the point with this," Paul said, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper, and held it up in front of her. "Do you know what I was doing the other night while I was supposed to be working on that document?"

"What?"

"Playing therapist to your ex," Paul said.

"You were not."

"I was too."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I'm saying it now," Paul said. "He was worried that he would never say the right thing because I guess he's not that good at it-."

"He isn't."

"Well, so I told him to write it down," Paul stated, tossing the note across the table. "He wasn't satisfied with how it turned out and threw it away, but I looked it over and thought it was pretty good."

"You read this very personal note?" she asked, slightly miffed but more terrified of the paper in her hand.

"Oh stop it, I learned nosiness from you," he said. "Read it." She looked at him, cautiously. "It's not going to bite you!"

"Oh, THANK YOU for the reassurance!" she said. "I was convinced it was going to open it's invisible jaws and-."

"Jacqueline! Read. It. Now." She huffed, and unfolded it.

_Dear Jackie_

_This is my ninth attempt at writing you a letter. I thought that writing down everything I was thinking and maybe explaining myself on paper would be easier, but it's not. And I think I know why. I can't explain my actions from all those years ago. I can't explain them, and I know that just saying sorry like I did the other night won't be a quick fix. But I meant it. Perhaps in the past I claimed that I meant things, like I'd never hurt you, or that I wasn't ready to be married as a shining example of my hypocrisy, but this is different. Can I prove it? I don't know how. But I can say for certain that you and Ash are the best things that ever happened to me. And I wish that I had figured that out all those years ago. You were never the Rolling Stone, Jacks. Just ask anyone. It was me the whole time. I know that now. And I don't want to be one anymore._

_Love, Steven_

Jackie looked up from the letter, her eyes wide. She put a hand to her mouth, and Paul rested his chin on his hand.

"Do you want me to drive you over there?" he asked.

"Yes, please," she said.

"Check please!" Paul said to the passing waitress.

* * *

Hyde was looking at the picture Ash had given him and sitting on the couch in his apartment. He had some late night TV show on, he wasn't sure what anymore, and was about ready to just call it a night. Probably call Ash the next day, see if she was interested in going to a movie or for a walk or something. He also needed to get a frame for the picture. He turned off the TV, and turned on the radio.

"Well I believe that we should try something a little different after that track from Bob Seger," the DJ said. "I feel like I'm in a power ballad mood tonight, so I think that maybe I'm going to throw on something by Firehouse, even if it isn't really 'classic' rock. You're listening to 92 KQRS."

He was trying to decide if he was going to hang it on his wall or put it on his desk at work, when there was a knocking on his door. How on Earth did they get in without him buzzing them up? He got up, and walked to the door.

"This better be something important," he called through the door. "Cuz I'm not in a mood to-." He stopped talking when he saw Jackie on his stoop.

"Hello, Steven."

"….. Jackie."

_I guess the time was right for us to say  
We'd take our time and live our lives  
Together day by day  
We'll make a wish and send it on a prayer  
We know our dreams can all come true  
With love that we can share_

"Can I come in?" she asked.

"…. Yeah, sure," he said, opening the door wider. She walked in, and took in a deep breath. "So what's going on?" She turned around.

"I'm ridiculous, that's what," she said.

"Well I knew that, but-."

"Shh! I have to get this out and if you interrupt me it'll throw off my train of thought!" she stated. "Okay…. Steven, I know that neither of us can know if we're going to hurt each other again. We've done so much of that in the past that some would say that it was inevitable. In fact, my better sense is saying that it is. But who am I to listen to that side of me when it came to you?"

"I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted," he said.

"Okay, what I'm trying to say, and obviously failing at, is that… I feel the exact same way as you do. The time we've spent together, and with Ash, I've never been happier in my entire life. I'm just so scared because whenever I'm at my happiest, life likes to throw a curveball at me and take it away. At least when it comes to you."

_With you I never wonder will you be there for me?  
With you I never wonder--you're the right one for me  
I finally found the love of a lifetime  
A love to last my whole life through  
I finally found the love of a lifetime  
Forever in my heart  
I finally found the love of a lifetime_

"I know I said that our relationship was toxic-," she continued.

"You… never actually said that," he said.

"Oh… Well, I thought it," she said. "I've tried telling myself that we won't work, I've tried telling myself that I can handle you as simply Ash's Dad and nothing more to me, but now that the chance of having you is out there, I can't pass it up. I just can't. And PLEASE don't make me beg because it would be pathetic and very 1970s Jackie. I'm not her anymore."

"I can see that."

"And I know that you aren't 1970s Steven either. We've both changed for the better," she said. "I'm so, so sorry that I just let you leave after the barbeque. But I had my reasons, okay? I was terrified of being hurt again, but I think I was more afraid of Ash losing her Dad because of one of our spats. But forget all that. Forget the past, forget Sam, forget Chicago, forget everything we did to each other. I just want to live for right now. Now is all that matters to me. I want to wake up in your arms again, I want to read the paper with you and watch you and Ash talk over morning coffee. I want you to see her grow up before your eyes, and I want to marry you and have more kids with you so you can see how amazing it is. I want us to be the family we should have been when she was a baby. Steven, I want you. I love you."

_With every kiss, our love is like brand-new  
And every star up in the sky  
Was made for me and you  
Still we both know that the road is long  
But we know that we will be together  
Because our love is strong_

Hyde looked at his ex, who was trying her best to not only assert herself but also get him back. Heh, like she really had to try, he thought. He walked to her, and kissed her deeply. She enfolded her arms around his back and held him close, as if she'd never let him go ever again.

"Yeah, okay," he said, pulling away. "When you put it THAT way-."

"Don't act like I'm the one who came begging, you begged first."

"Oh I didn't beg, I PLEADED," he said, and she laughed as he lifted her up.

"Let's go back to my place," she said. "Tell Ash the good news."

"And Paul," he said. "What's he going to think?"

"I think as long as I stop moping he'll be satisfied," she stated. "Besides, he's the one who berated me into admitting how I feel. He likes ya." They entwined their hands together, and she looked down at them. Finally, they felt right.

"What changed your mind?" he asked, and she dug into her purse. She held out the letter, and Hyde took it.

"Oh that BASTARD!" Hyde snapped. "He gave this to you? It wasn't even close to what I wanted to say!"

"It was perfect, Steven," she assured him. "Really."

"How dare he read my personal stuff?"

"You threw it out!"

"It was private!"

"Well I'd be glad that Paul is a nosy 'bastard', cuz he showed it to me and now here I am," she said. "…. I probably would have come around anyway, but this… It was beautiful." Hyde smiled, and kissed the top of her head.

"I try," he said. "Perhaps Ash gets her writing skills from her old man."

"Perhaps she does!"

_I finally found the love of a lifetime  
A love to last my whole life through  
I finally found the love of a lifetime  
Forever in my heart  
I finally found the love of a lifetime_

* * *

Back at the Burkhart household, the movie had ended, Sam and Maddie had left, and Ash and Adrian were sitting on the couch.

"So have you talked to Hyde much since the whole ankle thing?" he asked.

"I've been so busy these past couple days, doing chores, chilling with Sam and Maddie, and you," she said.

"Busy lying on the couch with your bum leg, gimpy?" he asked.

"Shut up. I should probably call him, see if he wants to go out for lunch or something."

"Yeah, you should do that," he prompted, and she grinned. "Until then, now that Sam and Maddie are gone…"

"And what do you think of my best friends?" she asked.

"Well, she's pretty cool, if not a little ditzy and maybe slightly slutty."

"You hit that nail on the head."

"He's funny but has a serious reading problem."

"What do you mean?"

"He needs to read more than Fangoria," he stated, and she laughed out loud. They then fell into that awkward teenage silence.

"So…." he said.

"So…." she answered. "So do you want to make out or something?"

"…. Yeah, okay," he stated. "I've never made out with Bruce Campbell before." She laughed, and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"Give me some sugar, baby," she purred, happy she could finally use that ridiculous Ash Williams quote, and they began kissing on the couch.

Hyde pulled up the Burkhart driveway in his car, Jackie sitting in the passenger seat. Their hands hadn't unlatched the entire ride over, and he smiled at her slyly. She smiled at him too, and they got out of the car.

"Do you think Ash will be happy?" he asked.

"I think she will be," Jackie said. "Here's the key, you go ahead, I didn't get the mail yet today."

"Absentminded still, I see."

"Hey, I've had a lot on my mind," she said, walking to the mailbox. He chuckled, and unlocked the front door and walked into the house.

He then saw Ash and Adrian on the couch, pawing at each other.

"HEY!" he exclaimed, furious that this punk writer was putting his hands on his daughter. Ash and Adrian pulled away, surprised.

"Dad!" Ash exclaimed. "What the hell?! You just storm in here like the sex police and scare us half to death? Where do you get off?"

"Well and I'm glad I DID, who knows where… Wait, did you just call me 'Dad'?" Ash thought for a second, and then made an impressed face.

"I guess I did," she said. "Hey, that's pretty cool!! You know, I think it's great that-."

"Yes it's great, but don't change the subject, young lady!" he snapped, pointing at her. "You're too young to be doing stuff like this!"

"Dad, how old were YOU when YOU did heavy petting on the couch?" she asked.

"Sixteen," he said, proudly. "You're a year younger than that, so you have no excuse."

Jackie walked into the house.

"Hi Ash, guess wha-."

"Mom, how old were you when you started heavy petting on the couch?" Ash demanded, Adrian turning redder by the minute.

"….. Uh…. Fifteen, but-."

"SEE!" Ash said, pointing at Jackie. "If MOM isn't a whore, I'M not a whore!"

"Hey!" Jackie exclaimed.

"I never called you a whore!" Hyde growled. "Jackie, I caught her and HIM making out on the couch!"

"Oh. Well Ash, Adrian, you're… Hey WAIT A MINUTE!" Jackie exclaimed. "I will not let our daughter's sexcapades-."

"Did she say 'sexcapades?" Adrian asked, and Ash groaned in sheer embarrassment.

"-steal OUR thunder!" Jackie exclaimed, grabbing Hyde's hand again. "Ash. Your father and I have decided to try again. We're together, and we want your blessing." Ash looked from her Mom to her Dad, and smiled widely.

"Cool!" she said. "Yeah, you got it, you got my blessing."  
"Good," Jackie said. "Now Adrian. It's late, and I think it might be time for you to go home if you want to make your curfew."

"Yeah, I think so too," he said. "See ya later, Leigh."

"Bye, Adrian," she said, and he went in for a kiss, but Hyde grabbed him by the collar and led him towards the door. "Daaaaad!"

"Did she just call you Dad?" Jackie asked, as Hyde slammed the door in Adrian's face.

"Yep!" he said, proudly.

"Yeah, because you completely embarrassed me as only a Dad could do," Ash muttered. "Jeeze. Somehow I think I'm going to be rebelling against you in no time."

"Kiddo, I can't wait," Hyde said, putting at arm around her shoulders.

"You say that now," Jackie said. "But when she goes into full teenager mode…"

"I'm gonna make your life a living hell," Ash said, grinning at her dad. Hyde smiled back, and felt that somehow it wasn't going to be bad at all.

* * *

A/N2: Awww. Happy family. An epilogue should go up in the next couple of days! 


	16. Kiss Me : Sixpence None The Richer

A/N: I had so much fun writing this story. This is indeed the epilogue, and I hope that it is satisfying. I worked on it a few times over, but I think I'm happy with it now. After this I don't know when a new story is going up, as my life is pretty busy for the next couple of weeks, but hopefully come mid July something will be happening. Thanks to everyone out there!

Disclaimer: I don't own 70S SHOW. But I do own Ash and Adrian. So cute.

* * *

Minneapolis, Minnesota, June 1999 

Paul Hodge knocked on the door of the house in the Lake Nokomis neighborhood. He waited, and knocked again.

"Jeeze, Paul, impatient much?" Ash asked, opening the door.

"Well if you're going to be bratty I just WON'T give you your congratulations card," he said, putting the card back behind his back.

"Awww, come on," she whined, grabbing for it. "I was just commenting on the fact that you are so eager on getting in the house." He smiled, and handed her the card.

"It's from me and Lucy," he said, referring to his fiancée. She opened it as they walked inside.

" 'To Ash, congratulations on graduating AND being a published author. You're officially a writer. Paul and Lucy'. Paul, it's just a doofy local teen writers magazine," she said, and he shrugged.

"Published is published," he said. "You'll be given your check AFTER you graduate tomorrow afternoon. Where are your parents?"

"Out for a walk with Addison."

"Well I'll wait until they get home so I can say hi," Paul said. "How is Adrian?"

"He's good," Ash said. "Totally jealous that I'm published and he isn't yet."

"You're so competitive." She shrugged, and the front door opened.

"Is that Paul's car in the drive?" Jackie called.

"Yep!" Paul called back. Jackie and Hyde walked into the den, her arm resting over her slightly protruding stomach and Hyde holding their two year old daughter Addison in his arms.

"Your husband wanted this Zeppelin CD back," Paul said, handing Hyde the CD. "I was also just here to congratulate Ash on being published."

"AGAIN, it's just a dumb teen lit magazine," she said, holding it up.

"Well you may not be impressed but I know I am," Jackie said, kissing her daughter on the head. Ash opened it up, and turned to the page she was on.

"What was the story about?" Hyde asked, setting Addi down.

"A group of teenagers who are traveling on a lone highway and are followed by a sadistic sheriff who wants to kill them all," she said. The adults all exchanged glances. "It's kind of Clive Barker-esque. But here's the BEST part. Look at my name." They all looked at the name. 'Ashleigh Burkhart-Hyde'. Hyde smiled, and kissed her on the head.

"That's how it's going to be read tomorrow at graduation," Ash stated, proudly. "I pulled some strings, and if Addison and the next one are Hydes, I may as well at least add it to my name."

"I like that train of thought," Paul said.

Adrian knocked on the door, and Ash waved at him.

"Hi Adrian!" she said, and he hugged her.

"Hey Leigh," he stated, and made sure to not kiss her in front of Hyde. Hyde liked Adrian, he just didn't like Adrian macking on his daughter. "Hi Mr. and Mrs. Hyde. Paul. Addison." Addison waved at him, and Adrian held out a wrapped gift.

"What is this?" Ash asked.

"A congrats on graduating tomorrow gift," he said. "And a congrats on going to the U with me gift."

"… Aaaaand a congrats on being PUBLISHED gift?" she asked, accepting it. Adrian wrinkled his nose at her, and she opened it. "Awww…. Mom! Dad! Paul! He got me 'A Clockwork Orange' in hardcover!"

"It's a rare one," Adrian said. "One of the originals. I had to scour the used bookstores to find it."

"How…. Sweet," Jackie said, still unable to understand the young love these two shared. Though not completely, she admitted to herself as Hyde slinked his arm around her waist. "Adrian, would you like to stay for dinner? And Paul?"

"Well, Lucy IS working late tonight," Paul said, and Adrian shrugged.

"Sure," Adrian said. "Thanks Mrs. Hyde."

"I'm going to go put this in my room," Ash said, and ran up the steps. She put it on her bookshelf, and noticed something on her desk. She walked over, and saw a wrapped gift. She unwrapped it, and smiled. A pair of aviator sunglasses, her Dad's sunglasses, were in the paper.

"Like em?" Hyde asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm sorry, aren't these your favorite glasses?" she asked.

"If you haven't noticed I haven't worn them in a long time," he said. "And I thought they could use a good home. All aloof college kids need glasses that make you-."

"Soulless?" she asked.

"Yep," he stated, smiling that smirky smile that she smiled right back. "And besides…. I don't need them anymore." She nodded, and threw her arms around her Dad.

"Thank you, Dad," she said. "Not just for the glasses, you know." He nodded.

"I know, kiddo."

They went back downstairs as Paul and Adrian were setting the table. She was wearing the glasses, and Adrian burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" she asked, gruffly.

"Nothing," he said, though by his voice she could tell her was laughing about something. "It's nothing, Leigh. You look like Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, but really, it's-."

"Adrian, shut yer trap," she snapped, and he closed his mouth, a grin unable to hide itself. Jackie and Hyde stared at their daughter and her boyfriend.

"Dear GOD they're us," Jackie whispered to him, picking up Addison.

"Let's hope he doesn't leave town and sixteen years later she has a kid," he joked, and she laughed as they walked into the kitchen to cook dinner.

As Ash sat at the table with her arms across her chest, Adrian handed her a glass of water as a peace offering. She looked at him, and took it. He knew they were fine, so he grinned to himself and sat next to her. She didn't say anything, but did kiss him quickly.

"You love me," he stated, triumphantly.

"Yes well don't go spreading that around," she muttered, smiling at him and looking a lot like her Dad in the glasses.

"Oh I've told everyone," he said.

"Jerk."

"The Jerk you love."

"…. The Jerk I love," she repeated, and smiled as she took his hand under the table.

Clearly she got the best of both parents.

THE END


End file.
